How 'The Devil Wears Prada' changed me

or, the power of the makeover in the scale of Life.

From the moment I saw The Devil Wears Prada, my life took on a brighter hue. It was more than the energy, which Prada has in abundance, certainly more than the fabulous clothes and the divine performances by Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep. Yet as I watched the credits roll, I couldn’t find the source of my high spirits. In truth, the ending sucked; pat, Hollywood, improbable. One is to fight the good fight, write for the Post and commute to see the boyfriend. One is not to be successful in a superficial industry dedicated to **gasp!** money.

Yet there I sat, jazzed, intrigued, enlightened. By Prada??

It’s taken me months to figure out the source of my delight.

Stanley Tucci, cast as art director Nigel at fictional Runway magazine, delivers a catalytic speech to main character Andrea. It's become one of my favorite quotes; I'll never forget it.

“Don’t you know that you are working at the place that published some of the greatest artists of the century? Halston. Lagerfeld. de la Renta. And that what they did, what they...created, was greater than art. Because you live your life in it.”

This was where the map of my life took an important little turn, had I but known it.

Madonna’s Vogue provides the acoustic backdrop to a montage of stunning wearable art – designer samples that Nigel gives Andrea along with a makeover, and which give her the impetus she needs to succeed. ‘Beauty’s where you find it,’ Madonna croons, pouring energy into the image of an industry that long has been both worshipped and reviled. Nigel’s dry yet passionate delivery lends credence to it all. He made me believe.

Madonna found her beauty in music. It is to Coco Chanel’s shrewd beauty that we owe the little black dress and bellbottoms. Others find theirs in design, the arts, teaching.

Where was my beauty? where was my art?

And so I began to notice what was, not the lost maps to a future I couldn’t claim as mine.
I thought about it, even took that career personality test at Tickle.com. (I recommend Tickle; try the Ayurvedic nutrition test).

As I mentioned before, the results intrigued me; architect, film editor, graphic or interior designer. Most produced excitement, but nothing jelled. I talked to people, friends, acquaintances, but more importantly, I listened to what I was saying to them. I looked around, my home, my yard, the world, and at last found the thread that linked that subtle elusive beauty –- that art -- to me. It was the reason we moved to Maryland three years ago. It has been with me all along; spread across my bookshelves, in the artwork and prints that adorn my walls, even in the curved legs on my sofa.

History. Writing about history; design; architecture; artifacts; the color and fabric of Lady Steffington’s second-day dress! The beautiful Paca House and its architectural symmetry (they thought that symmetry brought them closer to G-d.) and lord knows, PoyRITS! All those wonderful, useless facts that tend to bore the masses. But not me.

And so, as I find my way into academia and look forward to an honors course (fingers crossed) in historic preservation, I know I’ll look back occasionally and smile a grateful smile.

Will I be wearing Prada? Jeez, I hope so.