Meryl & anna: a rare glimpse inside fashion's power circle
The Crosby Street Hotel suite felt almost conspiratorial, a haven of plush decor shielding two titans of their respective industries—Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour—from a record-breaking winter chill. The occasion? A conversation, meticulously orchestrated and months in the making, exploring a question that’s long intrigued the fashion and entertainment worlds: what happens when you place two iconic figures like Miranda Priestly and… well, Meryl Streep in the same room?
Greta gerwig as our guide
Guiding this unprecedented exchange was filmmaker Greta Gerwig, a self-professed devotee of The Devil Wears Prada franchise. Her role, as she playfully described, was that of a “court stenographer,” capturing the nuances of a conversation that promised a rare peek behind the curtain of power and influence. Annie Leibovitz and Grace Coddington rounded out the extraordinary assembly, documenting the encounter with iconic imagery.
The initial pleasantries—catching up on theater outings, family updates, and the joys and challenges of grandparenting—quickly gave way to a discussion of something fundamental: how women present themselves, and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) expectations placed upon them. Anna Wintour, ever the astute observer, dismissed the notion of a “power suit” as a prerequisite for authority, citing Michelle Obama as an exemplar of effortless style and authenticity. “To be fair, Melania Trump also always looks like herself when she dresses,” she added, a pointed observation that underscored the complexities of self-expression and societal perception.
Meryl Streep, with her trademark insightful commentary, delved deeper into the historical and political context of women’s dress, referencing a particularly provocative moment involving a coat and a stark message about the treatment of migrant children. “All dress is about expressing yourself, but we’re also subject to larger historical and political sweeps of expectation,” she stated, highlighting the inherent double standards often imposed on women in positions of power.
The conversation meandered through reflections on the evolution of female roles in film, with Gerwig drawing parallels between the audacious characters of Bette Davis and Rosalind Russell and the iconic Miranda Priestly. Streep emphasized the freedom afforded to women in earlier cinematic eras, when they were perceived as less of a “threat” to male dominance. “It was like cross-dressing,” she quipped, “fun and uninhibited.”
But the core of the discussion circled back to the enduring relevance of The Devil Wears Prada, and the character of Miranda Priestly. “I was interested in the business part of it,” Streep explained, “carrying the weight of many, many people’s jobs, running a big organization, keeping it going somehow.” She mused on the future of such institutions in an increasingly volatile world, questioning where they would “go” when faced with disruption and uncertainty.
Wintour, ever the optimist, countered with a resounding declaration of resilience. “We are still here,