It is the most regal of meet-cutes. To the clonk of heels striking the floor, a pair of imperious silhouettes converge upon the same elevator. On the left, Meryl Streep as fashion diva Miranda Priestly, editor of the fictional glossy, Runway; on the right, Miranda’s real-life counterpart, Anna Wintour, the former editor of Vogue and current chief content officer for Condé Nast.
The czarinas enter the elevator together, exchanging polite chitchat that seems to evaporate immediately from their pursed lips. They take each other’s measure as formidable equals, otherwise they wouldn’t engage; neither would acknowledge mere civilians and subordinates as anything other than worker bees. They depart the elevator and separate. “Cool shoes,” says Wintour. “Nice boots,” replies Priestly. End scene. It’s not exactly Neil McCauley and Vince Hanna squaring off at the diner in Heat, but this playful playlet has drawn (as of this writing) 1.5 million views on YouTube, and, as one podcaster is keen on reminding us, “views equal news.”
