Anna Wintour channels Miranda Priestly in surprise Oscars appearance

Anna Wintour delighted the audience at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday by playfully channelling Miranda Priestly, the formidable fashion editor from The Devil Wears Prada.

Appearing alongside actress Anne Hathaway to present the awards for costume design and hairstyling, the Vogue editor-in-chief leaned into her reputation as the inspiration for the iconic character.

Following a light-hearted enquiry from Hathaway regarding her own attire, Wintour donned her trademark sunglasses and dryly replied, “And the nominees are.”

The comedic timing continued when Wintour later thanked Hathaway by saying, “Thank you, Emily,” providing a deliberate nod to the film’s running joke where the fictional editor refuses to learn her assistants' names.

This segment served as a high-profile teaser for the upcoming film adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, which is scheduled for cinematic release on 1 May.

The technical categories presented by the duo saw significant success for the film Frankenstein. The Best Costume Design honour was awarded to Kate Hawley for her intricate work on the gothic epic, while the award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling was claimed by the creative team of Jordan Samuel, Mike Hill, and Cliona Furey for the same production.

The ceremony was hosted for a second consecutive year by Conan O’Brien, who returned to the stage after taking over from Jimmy Kimmel.

While the evening celebrated contemporary cinematic achievements, it was Wintour’s rare and human moment of self-parody that provided one of the night’s most memorable highlights.