Of course, it could still be a masterpiece. But there’s been something undeniably depressing about the announcement of The Devil Wears Prada 2. The timing and subject matter combine in a way that makes you feel exhausted just thinking about it.
It’s a theatrical film about glossy magazines, arriving at a time when few people go to the cinema or buy glossy magazines. To really drive home the point that it exists in a bubble of unrealistic nostalgia, the film has just announced a brand partnership with Starbucks.
Starting yesterday, Starbucks customers can order from a secret menu of drinks inspired by the film’s characters. Options range from Miranda’s Signature Order (“a no foam, extra shot, extra hot latte with non-fat milk”) to Andy’s Cappuccino (“an oatmilk cappuccino with caramel and cinnamon: simple, elevated, and ready to walk the line between who she was and who she’s becoming”). There are others, but I’ll spare you the details, since you probably don’t visit Starbucks voluntarily much these days.
In a franchise already full of outdated throwbacks, the Starbucks tie-in might be the most awkward. Yes, the film industry is so unstable that predicting flops is nearly impossible. Yes, the magazine industry is in decline, thanks to the internet, collapsing ad revenue, and a sense that glossies were perhaps too smug in their heyday. But trying to convince anyone that Starbucks is remotely aspirational in 2026? That’s a step too far.
You could frame this as a cute nod to 20 years ago, when Starbucks still carried some prestige. Back then, drinking Starbucks meant you cared about quality and enjoyed its elevated “third place” atmosphere. Starbucks knew it—for a while, it even published its own magazine and sold CDs so successfully that it launched a record label, releasing albums by artists like Ray Charles and Paul McCartney.
That seems incredible today, given how Starbucks overexpanded and cheapened itself. At some point, it tried to become like McDonald’s and failed. Coffee lovers avoid it because it feels like a front for the syrup industry. Hungry people avoid it to spare their mouths the agony of a nuclear-heated panini. And everyone else avoids it because, anecdotally, there’s about a one-in-four chance you’ll find a sign taped to the door reading, “Toilets not working.”
A TikTok video captures this perfectly, cutting between a 1990s Starbucks customer saying, “It’s not just a cup of java, it’s a lifestyle,” and his harried 2026 counterpart yelling, “There’s poop. There’s poop everywhere in here.”
And this is where The Devil Wears Prada 2 wants to align itself. On the surface, it seems like a huge mistake—a product of a dying industry about a dead industry, partnering with a company that feels like it’s gone from a destination to a last resort. But I wonder if something smarter isn’t at play here.
Perhaps The Devil Wears Prada 2 isn’t so much a film as an elaborate…This feels like a piece of mid-2000s nostalgia cosplay. Perhaps there’s a huge market for people who desperately wish it were 20 years ago, back when financial growth seemed certain and stability felt normal. A time before Brexit and Trump, when you could sink into a comfy armchair, order a grande latte, and flip through a thick copy of Vogue before heading out to a packed screening of a mid-budget romcom in a cinema that didn’t vaguely smell of disinfected vomit.
Of course, it’s easy to get nostalgic about the past. Maybe 20 years from now, when we’re all covered in dirt and hiding from sentient, berserk robots, we’ll look back on the partnership between Starbucks and The Devil Wears Prada 2 as a golden age of human-led decision-making. Still, would it have killed The Devil Wears Prada 2 to move with the times a little and announce a tie-in with Greggs?
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the perceived disconnect between The Devil Wears Prada 2 and its Starbucks collaboration framed in a natural conversational tone
General Beginner Questions
1 Wait what is this collaboration Im out of the loop
A new The Devil Wears Prada sequel is in development and to promote it Starbucks released a limitededition Runway Red drink and merchandise Its a marketing tiein between the highfashion film and the global coffee chain
2 Why does this partnership feel weird or off to people
The original film is a satire about the exclusive cutthroat world of high fashion Partnering with a massive accessible chain like Starbucks feels contradictory to that core message of elitism and exclusivity
3 Isnt any promotion good promotion Why are fans upset
While it creates buzz many fans feel it undermines the movies identity Its like a film mocking fast fashion suddenly partnering with a huge retailerit can feel like a betrayal of the storys principles for a quick marketing win
4 Whats the Runway Red drink Is it any good
Its a strawberry acai refresher Reviews are mixed but the main criticism isnt the tasteits the idea A sugary pink drink doesnt align with the sophisticated cerulean sweater aesthetic of Runway magazine
Advanced Thematic Questions
5 How does this clash with the original films themes
The film critiques how high fashion looks down on the mainstream Miranda Priestly would famously disdain a lumpy blue sweater from a casual store A Starbucks collab essentially is that lumpy blue sweater making the partnership feel ironically tonedeaf
6 Is this just a case of selling out
Many see it that way The collaboration is a clear corporate synergy play It prioritizes broad commercial reach over narrative integrity which can feel cheap to dedicated fans
7 Couldnt this be a clever meta commentary on fashion becoming accessible
Thats a generous reading but unlikely The promotion lacks any satirical edge or message Its presented as a straightforward celebration not a critique which misses the original films intelligent bite
