Andy Sachs, heroine of Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada, is once again pitted against sadistic fashion editor Miranda Priestly in Weisberger’s sequel Revenge Wears Prada.
Why did you decide to revisit Andy 10 years after her debut in The Devil Wears Prada?
I’ve been thinking about writing a sequel for a long time. Every time I sat down to write a new book I thought about it. But I knew I didn’t want the book to start exactly where the first one left off. I wanted enough time to have elapsed to really create a backstory for these characters. That was the fun of it, starting with characters I already knew and seeing what they’ve been up to in these 10 years.
How has Andy changed over the past decade?
She has grown up a lot. At the ending of first book she was 22-years-old, super wide-eyed, naïve, and scared a lot of time. She was still very intimidated and nervous. Now she’s had more experience living in the city and writing for different publications. She’s now editor-in-chief of her own magazine that she started with Emily [her former co-worker from Runway magazine] and she’s about to get married to the love of her life. It seems like all of her ducks are in a row, but of course that’s always when things go awry.
Has the explosion of online fashion journalism since 2003 changed Andy’s magazine world?
There have been a lot of changes. Andy did leave Runway and was working for a wedding blog. But when push comes to shove, I wanted her to go back to her roots in print because I still think that the whole world of magazines is where Andy wants to be. She’s getting to write, edit, and travel at her new magazine. I know in some ways that’s considered old school but I pictured her in that world perfectly.
There’s been a lot of discussion recently about women “having it all”—from Anne-Marie Slaughter’s Atlantic article to Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In. Since Andy is now balancing family and career, how does her experience fit into that debate?
That balance is certainly one of the things she struggles with in this book. It’s also one of the things on my own mind. I’ve gotten married, had kids, and written more books. It’s constantly a discussion I have with my girlfriends, husband, and family. It’s something all women in this stage of their lives struggle with and it’s definitely a balance that Andy is trying to find.
The movie adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada was a huge hit. Do you think there’s potential for a film sequel?
I hope so. I don’t know what the chances are of getting all the actors together at the same time, but that would be terrific. I loved what they did with the first film, and that would be a dream come true.
What about a third book?
I have no plans for a trilogy now per se but I never say never. I think it’s possible sometime in the future.
