Why Meryl Streep fought to wear the tasselled Dries Van Noten jacket in The Devil Wears Prada 2?

One particular jacket caused one of the largest controversies behind the scenes for the movie The Devil Wears Prada 2. Costume designer Molly Rogers admitted that a Dries Van Noten jacket adorned with tassels almost didn’t make it into the film because the studio did not like it at all and wanted it out entirely, but Meryl Streep wouldn’t have it.

Meryl Streep’s jacket became a symbol of ‘art vs. commerce’

While addressing a panel discussion organized by Fashionphile in their New York City office, Molly Rogers described how the incident occurred during the making process of the coat.  According to Molly, the controversial jacket shows up during a significant moment in the movie. Miranda Priestly is suddenly forced to attend a meeting with people who have been hired by Jay Ravitz, who is played by BJ Novak. These people want to save money at Runway magazine.

“The tassel jacket needed the right scene, it couldn’t just show up,” Molly said, “The studio was afraid of that jacket, they tried to kill it.”

As per Molly, the suits from the studios were “buzzing” about the attire on the day of shooting and wished that it be changed. But when Molly talked to Meryl Streep explaining the matter, she was instantly rejected.

“We’ll see about that,” replied Meryl Streep before Rogers could even finish. Due to her endorsement, the jacket managed to stay in the film and eventually become a fan favourite outfit.

Molly Rogers also gave an explanation of the visual significance of the image. “Miranda is up against a lot of suits. It’s art vs. commerce,” she said. Tasselled coat was a way for the designer to differentiate herself from the corporate types who surrounded her.

It was also mentioned that the costume designer had some issues of fashion taste with Stanley Tucci regarding Nigel’s outfits. Specifically, she wanted him to wear more jewellery, specifically brooches. She threatened him with the prospect of looking ‘flat’ without anything on his lapel.

However, they reached an agreement. While Nigel wears a green bag by Goyard during his Milan appearances in the movie, he does not wear brooches. Later on, in an interview, Rogers quipped how Tucci betrayed her after posing wearing gems on the cover of a British magazine in April. “I called him and I said, ‘Traitor!’” she said.

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