Getting Ready With Simone Ashley For The Devil Wears Prada 2 Premiere

Seeing The Devil Wears Prada is more or less a requirement for anyone working in the fashion industry, or anyone who considers themselves a fashion girl. When Simone Ashley learned that they were making a sequel, the idea of being cast in it didn't immediately feel in the realm of possibility—but when she got the call, there was only one word to describe how it felt to enter such an important franchise:"It felt pretty iconic," she tells me over the phone ahead of The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere in New York.

Ashley was drawn to the first movie for its underdog narrative and the transformation, both inner and outer, that unfolded unfold onscreen. "It's such a satisfying movie to watch over and over again because you're constantly watching Anne Hathaway's character Andy, our heroine, just rise to the challenge, overtake Miranda, and have that makeover that's just so satisfying to watch," she says. "I think a lot of women watch it, especially young women, and feel really empowered."

Her character in the sequel has been described as the "new Andy"—Amari, the current first assistant to Miranda Priestly with a sharp, polished, office-chic style and a penchant for archival Jean Paul Gaultier. The clothes were a tool for Ashely to embody Amari's mindset: "The character developed mainly when we were in costume fittings and in hair and makeup fittings," she says. "Given that this is a movie set and runway, this hyper-real fantasy of the fashion world, the fashion, the hair and makeup [were] really important." In terms of her own personal style, Ashley's is more understated. "When I'm not working, I'm just really in understated jeans and a top. I like to wear a lot of color, sweatpants, and I love vintage sweaters," she says. "So, quite the opposite of Amari."

Ashley's love for color was reflected through her red carpet look tonight for TDWP2 premiere, a lime-green custom-Prada high-low dress, metallic silver Prada shoes, and Garatti jewelry, styled by Rebecca Corbin-Murray. "I'm a London girl, so my look was influenced by that," she says. "It's really understated, cool, with pop of color and clean lines." Plus, this is Ashley's first time wearing custom Prada—and, considering the film and the occasion, the timing couldn't be more perfect. "It's all a collaborative team effort with my stylist," Ashley says. "We started out with taking measurements and then Prada sent over a few different sketches and this was the one that spoke to us the most."

In terms of glam, Ashley has a trusting relationship with longterm makeup artist Alex Babsky. "I've been working with him for years now and he can just do anything," she says. "I could be half asleep and he could do my makeup and I trust that he'll just make me look fabulous." For the premiere, they went with a soft glow with mostly neutral tones and berry flushed cheeks. Ashley prefers a calm glam room paired with calm music, Frank Ocean often being a go-to. With a supportive team surrounding her, she views the moment before she leaves for a red carpet as a celebration of everyone's teamwork and effort.

For Ashley, this red carpet in particular feels very worthy of celebration, a culmination of four months of filming. "Everyday on set was just a new adventure," she says. "It was just such an amazing experience that I'll remember forever."

Credits:
Photographer: Emma Beils Howie
Stylist: Rebecca Corbin-Murray
Hair: Gonn Kinoshita
Makeup: Alex Babsky