From there, the mood softened without losing precision. Jenny Packham’s embellished black gown caught the light with a quieter shimmer, its fluid drape shifting the focus toward movement, while Roksanda reintroduced texture through a tiered composition of feathered fringe – bands of black, red, and ivory bringing a sense of rhythm to an otherwise structured form.
There was a subtle lift in tone as the sequence progressed. Stella McCartney’s polka-dot dress, paired with a sculptural Stephen Jones hat, introduced a note of controlled playfulness, which Ashish extended through layered tulle and saturated colour – volume building, but held in check by darker underlayers that grounded the look.
That sense of restraint returned in 16 Arlington’s feathered column, where the silhouette narrowed and surface became the focus, before expanding again into the historical references of Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood. Here, a corseted bodice and mixed brocade skirt leaned into irregularity and construction, setting up a final shift in texture and tone.
Dilara Findikoglu closed the sequence with a more tactile contrast: a shaggy, high-collared fur jacket layered over a structured corset and slim snakeskin trousers. The balance between volume and control, softness and structure, echoed throughout the presentation, bringing it to a cohesive end.
It worked because it understood the assignment. The sequel’s plot centres on Runway navigating a collapsing media landscape, where legacy glossies must fight to remain relevant. This gala answered that tension in real time: by doubling down on image, on experience, on the kind of fashion moment that demands attention rather than asking for it.
In the first film, Miranda dismisses trends with a single glance. Here, London made its own case – that fashion, when done properly, doesn’t follow the conversation. It is the conversation.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in cinemas May 1. Photography by Pip Bourdillon, courtesy of Disney UK.