Currently filming outside the Natural History Museum in New York City (a cleverly disguised stand-in for the Met), The Devil Wears Prada 2’s latest scene gives us an early taste of the film’s fashion promises—and one of the first breakout stars is none other than the Rafé New York Azura Asymmetric Minaudière Clutch in Violet at the cerulean carpet.
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The clutch was paired with Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Fall/Winter 2011 and Gadebe’s crystallized Logan boots. The bag is carried by new cast member Simone Ashley, whose look toes the line between avant-gardeAvant-GardeExperimental fashion that pushes boundaries and challenges conventional ideas of shape, material, and beauty. Avant-garde designers treat clothing as art, presenting sculptural silhouettes and unexpected textures on runways, and theirGo to Avant-Garde Glossary and old-school gala drama.
The scene’s supposed theme is “Spring Florals”, according to the banners lining the set. “Groundbreaking”, but this isn’t your garden-variety gown moment. With costume designer Molly Rogers at the helm (of And Just Like That fame), we’re already seeing nods to archival couture and unexpected accessories—like Totengco’s futuristic clutch—surfacing alongside more familiar red carpetRed CarpetThe high-profile arrival area at premieres, award ceremonies, and galas, where celebrities pose in carefully chosen fashion for photographers. Red carpet looks generate headlines, define trends, and elevate designers, andGo to Red Carpet Glossary codes.
The moment marks a spotlight on Rafé Totengco, the US-based Filipino designer known for bold, architectural bags that sit at the intersection of sculpture and eveningwear. His inclusion at this scene feels stylishly subversive, and an affirmation of how Asian designers continue to shape the global fashion conversation—even on fictional carpets on fashion’s biggest night.
Meanwhile, Stanley Tucci’s Nigel and Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly were also spotted filming. The latter wore what appeared to be a scarlet taffeta gown that could plausibly be from one of the newer creative directors freshly installed at a legacy house.
It’s a fleeting moment—a clutch of a second, if you will—but one that captivates. If the bags are already this bold, one can only imagine what the plot has in store. Somewhere between “Spring Florals” and scarlet taffeta, the real bloom might just be who gets the spotlight this time around.
Photos: RAFÉ NEW YORK (via Instagram)
