Miranda Priestly Walked So Today’s Female Leaders Could Lead in Heels

— A Satirical Love Letter to the Queen Who Accidentally Became a Feminist Icon

The quiet marble hall of Runway magazine still echoes the soft click-clack of a pair of red stilettos; you just need to listen close enough. No, it’s not a ghost. It’s the legacy of Miranda Priestly, dropping the OG fashion CEO fear, that still haunts boardrooms, and every “circle back” email sent by a woman in power today. 

If we are honest with ourselves, Miranda had no intention to become a feminist role model. She just wanted to become….well, Miranda. The woman walked into her cabin with just one goal: keep the fashion world going while wearing haute couture, sharp enough to slice everyone working with her. However, the fictional editor-in-chief accidentally pioneered an entire generation of women who wanted to make it big in the corporate world. 

So, with The Devil Wears Prada sequel dropping its teaser, it’s time to admit the reality: Miranda Priestly walked so today’s female leaders could lead in heels and humanity.

Yes, you heard me right, humanity. It might come across as a surprise that I’m calling the Miranda, known for her “Why is no one reaaaaady?” and “That’s all,” humane. Miranda is the prototype for the modern, “I can do this job better than most men, and look good doing it” executive. 

She was sharp, she was unapologetic, and she was definitely not asking anyone’s permission before making decisions. Remember, “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking?” expression? She wanted to alter the cultural trajectory of an entire industry, which is by definition male-dominated. Ironically, fashion, clothing, shoes, and colours have always been synonymous with women, but when it comes to running the business, it’s the men at the forefront. 

Somewhere between her whispered “By all means, move at a glacial pace” and her life-altering Cerulean Monologue, she became something more than a boss. She became a blueprint.

Scene from The Devil Wears Prada (Image via Twentieth Century Fox)

Standing in 2025, working as a writer in the entertainment industry, I am quietly inheriting Miranda’s high standards and confidence. Of course, minus the psychological warfare. Female leaders around the world have swapped the icy demeanor for empathy. It’s more like “I’m leading a meeting in Louboutins, but I also go to therapy.”

Who doesn’t love a woman who evolves?! Even though I don’t appreciate the constant heckling of juniors and making them miraculously get flight tickets for you, we love Miranda for what she did. Without her, we wouldn’t have the unapologetic leadership energy. 

Miranda wasn’t relatable; she did not intend to be. However, in the sequel, where we’re all older, wiser, and more hydrated, her story hits different. I was a teenager when I first watched the movie, and all I wished for was to be her. Mostly, for the luxury brands, private jets, and Paris. 

But now that I’m 27, I see Miranda as someone who navigated a sexist industry. She was balancing motherhood, sacrificing her personal life, and being cutthroat. That’s what it takes to be a woman in an authoritative position, even today. Miranda was living in the era before “burnout culture” was even a phrase. Miranda wasn’t cold; she was overworked.

So, as a woman in corporate today, sitting on my office ergonomic chair, I want to be the soft-power descendant of Miranda’s heel-clacking hustle. I want to lead with empathy, but the backbone to do so? The unapologetic excellence? That’s pure Priestly. 

Yes, we may sometimes mock her and, hypothetically, almost hate to work with her. But as Priestly rightfully says, "Oh, don't be ridiculous. Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us." So, I owe her a big thank you. Because, without Miranda Priestly, I’d still be tiptoeing. 

I’d openly confess that whenever I have a mental breakdown and want to retire, I rewatch The Devil Wears Prada. And boom! I show up to work in Cerulean Blue, a pair of heels, and a not-so-hideous skirt. 

On those days, I’m leading. In heels. Without apologizing. That’s all.