Andy Sachs vil gerne arbejde i magasinverdenen og er så heldig at være på det rigtige sted på det rigtige tidspunkt. Det betyder, at hun får et job som assistent for Miranda Priestly, chefredaktør for USAs største modeblad. Men Miranda viser sig hurtigt som en chef med endeløse arbejdsdage, krav og behov, så Andy må kæmpe hårdt for at holde fast på jobbet, der vil åbne dørene til branchen.

Edward Kaminsky, an aging ad man, wants a golden parachute from his agency; he must first land the Opel auto contract. Rosa, a youth with wealthy parents, wants to establish herself as an artist. The clumsy and enthusiastic Viktor, not quite honest, wants work. When he wanders into Kaminsky's meeting with Opel and says something about irony, the Opel director wants him in on the campaign. Then he steals an idea from Rosa that the Opel director loves. Before Rosa discovers he's expropriated her idea, Rosa and Viktor become lovers. Father-son feelings materialize between Kaminsky and Viktor. Can the impulsive Viktor hold it together before Rosa learns the truth and flies away?