Meryl Streep has organised an online auction of wardrobe pieces from The Devil Wears Prada 2, with proceeds split between the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The sale runs September 1–15 on Christies.com, as confirmed by announcements from both beneficiary organisations on their own websites (CFDA; CPJ).

Streep, who returns as the formidable editor-in-chief Miranda Priestley, issued a statement inviting the public to what she called the global auction for The Devil Wears Prada. The idea was hers, according to Deadline.

The auction catalogue includes some of the sequel's most talked-about costumes. Miranda's Dries Van Noten tassel jacket is up for bid. So is a Bad Binch TongTong feather dress by Terrence Zhou, worn in the film by Lady Gaga. And then there is the piece that started it all, or rather its second-generation version: Andy Sachs' signature cerulean sweater, worn again by Anne Hathaway.

For those who want to see the clothes before bidding, Christie's New York will host a free public exhibition from September 8–13. The exhibition overlaps with New York Fashion Week, during which Christie's throws an invite-only cocktail party and live charity auction on September 10, co-hosted with CPJ and CFDA. That evening event will offer both fashion pieces and film-inspired luxury experiences.

The sequel, a 20th Century Studios release, premiered in April and grossed $691 million globally (Deadline). That figure — the worldwide box-office total — makes it one of the year's biggest theatrical performers. Streep, Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci all reprise their roles from the 2006 original, written by Aline Brosh McKenna. Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman also return.

The new cast reads like a festival guest list: Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Pauline Chalamet, Rachel Bloom, Patrick Brammall, Conrad Ricamora, and Lady Gaga.

The choice of beneficiaries carries its own resonance. The CPJ defends press freedom and supports journalists under threat worldwide. The CFDA is the leading trade organisation for American fashion designers. A film about a magazine editor raising money for press protection and fashion's future is the kind of symmetry that writes itself — though Streep's statement kept the focus on the cause rather than the coincidence.

For fans, the auction offers a tangible piece of a franchise that, two decades on, still commands both box office and cultural attention. The cerulean sweater alone is likely to draw fierce bidding. As Miranda Priestley might note: it's not just blue. It's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually the opportunity to own a piece of cinema wardrobe history while funding two organisations that do real work in the world.

Bidding opens September 1 at Christies.com.