Simone Ashley’s black-and-white shoe edit steals Devil Wears Prada 2 press day

The shoe edit that did the heavy lifting

The quickest way to make a black-and-white wardrobe feel fresh is to change the shoes, and Simone Ashley used that logic to full effect at a packed New York press day for *The Devil Wears Prada 2*. Across five looks, she kept the palette crisp and graphic while letting footwear do the mood-shifting, moving from dressy sandals to sneakers to pumps and boots without ever losing control of the overall silhouette.

That is what makes the look so useful right now. It is not about owning more clothes. It is about owning a tighter rotation that can work hard in public, on camera, and in real life. Ashley’s day offered a clean argument for the kind of closet that reads polished from a distance and clever up close.

Why this press-day styling matters

The film is in its final promotional stretch before it opens exclusively in theaters on May 1, 2026, and the attention around the cast is intense for good reason. 20th Century Studios has positioned the sequel as a reunion of Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, with Simone Ashley joining the lineup, and the project carries the same fashion-industry DNA that made the original 2006 movie such a lasting reference point. The new film returns to the world of Runway magazine, where clothes are never just clothes.

That context matters because Ashley’s styling does not feel random or promotional for its own sake. It feels considered, as if every shoe choice is part of the character study around the film itself. The black-and-white discipline keeps the eye on shape, proportion and attitude, which is exactly how fashion people actually dress when they want their clothes to do the talking.

The four-shoe rotation that did the work

Ashley’s press-day lineup was anchored by a small, smart edit: black Christian Louboutin sandals, Puma Speedcats, Dior pumps and ivory Jimmy Choo heels. WWD described the day as a tour through five looks, with the footwear shifting from sandals to sneakers to pumps to boots, but the key takeaway is simpler than that. She showed how one restrained color story can carry very different levels of formality.

The dressy sandal

The black Louboutin sandal is the most obvious place to start because it gives instant evening polish without tipping into stiffness. A slim sandal in black keeps the leg line open and lets a monochrome outfit feel lighter, especially when the rest of the look is sharply tailored. In a closet built for mileage, this is the pair that can rescue a dressy event look, a fashion lunch or a press appearance without requiring a full outfit change.

The sneaker

The Puma Speedcats bring the edit down to street level, and that is exactly why they work. A sleek sneaker in a black-and-white wardrobe reads intentional rather than casual, especially when the rest of the look stays streamlined. They are the pair that keeps the outfit modern and slightly unexpected, the kind of move that stops a monochrome look from becoming too precious.

The classic pump

Dior pumps are the backbone of the rotation because they create the strongest read of authority. A pump sharpens tailoring, grounds a midi hem and makes a black-and-white palette feel editorial instead of safe. If one shoe earns its place in a tightly edited closet, it is this one, because it can move from meetings to dinner without changing the tone of the entire outfit.

The lighter neutral heel

The ivory Jimmy Choo heel is the quiet pivot in the lineup. By staying inside the same restrained palette but softening the contrast, it lightens the overall effect and gives the wardrobe a little breathing room. That is the smart move in a black-and-white closet: not every shoe has to be stark black to stay disciplined. A pale heel can keep the look elegant without adding visual weight.

How to copy the formula without overbuying

Ashley’s day is a reminder that a small shoe wardrobe can do more than a packed rack of clothing ever will. The trick is to choose pairs that shift the temperature of the same outfit, so one dress or one suit can be worn four different ways and still feel fresh. The palette does the organizing; the shoes do the styling.

• Keep the core colors to black, white and ivory so every pair works with the rest of the closet.
• Buy one heel that signals evening, one pump that sharpens tailoring, one sneaker that relaxes the look and one lighter shoe that softens the palette.
• Choose silhouettes with clean lines, because busy details break the effect.
• Use the shoe swap to change the mood, not the outfit itself.

That approach is especially relevant for readers who want clothes to pull more than their weight. A tightly edited shoe lineup reduces decision fatigue and makes getting dressed feel more deliberate. It also photographs well, which is no small thing in a season when every public appearance gets turned into a style reference.

Why the set looks make the story even better

Ashley’s press-day footwear story did not come out of nowhere. Earlier WWD coverage of the film’s New York production showed her in black knee-high socks with Mary Jane-style heels on set, and later coverage captured her in flat black Chanel sandals while filming in New York City. Taken together, those sightings suggest a sustained wardrobe strategy, not a one-off styling moment.

That is the real appeal here. She has been working within a narrow black-and-white lane and finding new personalities inside it, from socks and heels to flats, from polished pumps to sportier sneakers. The repetition is the point. It proves that a controlled palette can still feel varied when the shoes keep changing.

The bigger lesson for a pared-back closet

The smartest wardrobes rarely depend on volume. They depend on a sharp point of view, and Ashley’s press-day run shows exactly how that works in practice. One dressy sandal, one sneaker, one classic pump and one lighter neutral heel can cover far more ground than a closet full of almost-right options.

That is why this black-and-white shoe edit lands so well. It is glamorous enough for a *Devil Wears Prada* moment, but practical enough to copy on a weekday. And as the sequel heads toward its May 1 release, Ashley has already made the case that the most powerful accessory in a fashion-heavy press tour is not another outfit. It is a disciplined shoe rotation with a point of view.