Emily from ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ is Now a Sought-After Stylist for Stars Like Nicola Peltz and Charlize Theron
Leslie Fremar Reveals Inspiration Behind "The Devil Wears Prada" Character
Celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar has confirmed she is the real-life inspiration for Emily Charlton, the iconic character portrayed by Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada. Fremar made this revelation during an appearance on Vogue’s The Run-Through podcast, highlighting her significant influence in the industry.
Fremar, who has an impressive roster of clients including Charlize Theron and Julianne Moore, notably assisted Nicola Peltz in acquiring her Valentino wedding gown last year, which became a topic of public scrutiny. Her recent decision to share her story aligns with the buzz surrounding the sequel of The Devil Wears Prada set to release on May 1.
"Everyone really enjoyed the movie. Anna [Wintour]’s clearly embracing it, so why not just put it out there?" Fremar stated on the podcast. This marked a pivotal moment for her to speak out after years of speculation regarding her connection to the film.
Fremar joined Wintour’s team at Vogue in 1999 as a second assistant and quickly advanced to first assistant, hiring Lauren Weisberger, who later wrote the book that inspired the film. Notably, she remembers telling Weisberger, "A million girls would kill for this job," a line that became one of the film’s most famous quotes.
Reflecting on her experiences, she described Weisberger as less enthusiastic about the fashion world, which led to some tension. "I probably was not very nice, and I probably was high-strung because I felt like I was having to do her job as well," Fremar recalled.
Despite her complicated history with Weisberger, who portrayed the character inspired by her in the story, Fremar expressed no lingering resentment. "It would be very awkward," she admitted about potentially reconnecting after more than two decades.
In addition to her personal accounts, Fremar also clarified some popular misrepresentations from the story, such as the assumption that Wintour traveled with her assistants—"That is fiction," she emphasized.
The emotional weight of revisiting these memories has resurfaced with the sequel’s impending release. "Having a movie come out 20 years later… it feels like yesterday, somehow," she said.
While Weisberger was contacted for comment, she did not respond; however, she previously expressed that her work was not intended to harm anyone, asserting that it was not "an attempt to take anyone down or exact some sort of revenge."
Fremar acknowledged Wintour’s lasting impact on her career, saying, "Anna is my mentor, through and through. I learned everything that I know from Anna."
As the new film approaches, both the original and its legacy continue to resonate deeply within the fashion and entertainment industries.
