Miranda Priestly Was Right: What The Devil Wears Prada Gets Right About Merchandising
"That blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs." — Miranda Priestly
When Miranda Priestly delivered her now-iconic “cerulean sweater” monologue in The Devil Wears Prada, she wasn’t just serving cinematic drama — she was offering a masterclass in merchandising.
At first glance, a blue jumper might seem like just that: a blue jumper. But that particular shade of blue — cerulean — made it to the sales rack through a long, strategic journey. It started with designers, filtered through editors and trend forecasters, and was ultimately selected and bought by merchandisers. By the time it ended up in Andy’s closet, it had been analysed, planned, priced, and placed.
This is merchandising in action: the art and science of forecasting, planning, and delivering the products that shape how we dress — often before we even realise we’re making a choice.
The Real Work Behind the Rail
Merchandising is the commercial engine that powers a fashion brand — I tend to break it down to two core pillars: Collection Merchandising and Trade Merchandising.
Collection Merchandising happens at the very start of the product journey. This is where the merchandiser decides what goes into the range, how wide or deep it should be, and how the mix of products, price points, and delivery dates will work together. It’s where they set the creative vision in a way that’s also commercially viable — balancing statement pieces with core sellers, making sure the price architecture makes sense, and mapping out drops so the collection lands at exactly the right time. These decisions are made months, sometimes years, before the product reaches the customer:
Collection Size: What goes into a collection (and how big the collection should be)
Every item needs to earn its place in the collection - especially when you have a tight budget to start with. Merchandisers balance creative vision with commercial logic, blending statement pieces with high-converting core styles. Is it a 12-piece capsule or a 60-piece seasonal drop? The shape of the collection sets the stage for success. A merchandiser works closely with design, product, and sales to ensure the collection meets financial targets without overwhelming the customer.
They evaluate:
Style counts by category
SKU efficiency
Ratio of newness vs. carryover
Hero/Statement pieces vs. commercial pieces
It’s about shaping a range that is intentional and not accidental.
Price is positioning
The right price architecture tells a story — about quality, accessibility, aspiration. From entry-level hooks to trade-up pieces, every price point must make sense across the range. Merchandisers think in pricing ladders and architecture:
What’s your entry price that gets attention?
What’s your sweet spot where you expect most sales?
What’s your “aspirational” price that adds brand value?
What are your price brackets?
Can you differentiate your wholesalers based on price?
How can you ensure your pricing reflects product quality without overpricing?
They also ensure consistency: that a customer can logically trade up or down across categories, without confusion or drop-off. This is where finance meets psychology. A poorly priced product can hurt margin and brand equity.
Drop Date: Timing is everything
Is it a seasonal statement? A tactical refresh? A strategic pause before peak? Merchandising syncs with marketing, design, trade merchandising, and retail to make timing work for the customer and the bottom line.
Timing isn’t just about fashion calendars anymore — it’s about moments, relevance, and storytelling.
Merchandisers work with product and marketing teams to:
Align drops with customer buying behavior
Create excitement (e.g., limited editions, mid-season capsules)
Support full price sales windows (especially before markdown periods)
Ensure operational readiness (from photography to warehouse)
A product that’s too early confuses. Too late — it misses the moment.
Trade merchandising takes over once the collection is in market. This is about managing product performance in real time — reviewing weekly sales, adjusting allocations, replenishing bestsellers, and deciding what to do with slow movers. It’s where you decide whether to mark down, re-merchandise, or hold back stock, all with the goal of maximising revenue and profitability.
Budget and Unit Buy
Buy too little, you leave money on the table, but buy too much, you’ll drown in markdowns. Merchandisers use past data, customer behavior, and gut instinct to get the buy just right — for today, and the lifecycle ahead.
Merchandisers analyse:
Sell-through from past seasons
Demand forecasts
Channel and product category mix
Trend volatility
Lead times and supplier risk
Distribution — D2C, in-store, or online
The same product performs differently across sales channels - Different channels have different rules. Merchandisers think in channel strategies: what works in-store might need storytelling online or volume in wholesale.
In DTC (Direct-To-Customer), the focus might be on storytelling, community, and margin. In wholesale, it’s about volume, reliability, and delivery dates. In retail, it's about space and density.
Merchandisers tailor assortments for:
Geography
Customer profiles
Marketing plans
Logistics and packaging needs
The same product may behave entirely differently across these formats — and merchandisers plan accordingly.
What happens if the product doesn’t sell
Not every piece will fly. Great merchandising builds in exit plans — from markdowns or strategic holds. The difference between a reactive brand and a smart one? Planning for the exit just as carefully as the entry.
Merchandisers build in:
Markdown strategies (how deep, how fast)
A clear product lifecycle so you won’t mark down too late or too early
Exit channels for your clearance offer (outlets, partners)
“Hold and re-drop” approaches
This kind of foresight protects margin, brand value, and customer perception.
In short: it’s not just aesthetics, but commercial architecture that powers every moment in the customer journey. Every piece you see in a store or online is there because someone made it their mission to get it right. The right product, at the right price, in the right quantity, at the right time, in the right channel.
Why Miranda Was Right
The reason Miranda’s cerulean monologue hit so hard? Because it peeled back the curtain.
She exposed the reality that fashion isn't just about inspiration — it's about intention. It’s about a system. A trickle-down trend cycle that starts with a creative spark and ends with a purchase (or a pass). And while the cycle has evolved — sped up, gone digital, flattened — the foundation remains the same.
Merchandisers sit at the intersection of trend and trade. Their job is to decode what will resonate, what will convert, and what will reinforce the brand. That’s not fluff. That’s strategy.
What’s Coming Next on The Chief Product Officer
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be unpacking the 5 P’s of Merchandising — the framework behind every smart collection:
People – Know exactly who you’re building for (spoiler: it’s not “everyone”).
Product – Your range is your brand. Build with vision and balance.
Price – Not just numbers. Pricing is psychology and positioning.
Place – Where you sell changes what and how you sell.
Promotion – Because even the best product needs a story to move.
Every episode will be tight, actionable, and under 20 minutes — perfect for your Monday trade meetings, team catch-ups, or solo range reviews.
Final Thoughts
So the next time you see a piece hanging on a rail and think, “Who chose that?” — the answer is: a whole team did. And behind that team, a merchandiser was quietly making hundreds of decisions that shaped everything you see.
