For fans ofThe Devil Wears Pradaand the ’80s cult classicPretty in Pink, the fast-livedJane by Designis like its third spiritual sister. Debuting on ABC Family in 2012, it ran for one short seasonand was vastly underrated in its wholesome coming-of-age story and passion for the fashion world. Arriving during the network’s heyday, with a spotlight on teen hits likePretty Little LiarsandSwitched at Birth, it fell through the cracks.
Erica DasherledJane by Designas a fashion-forward high school student, and the series had an undeniableJohn Hughesfeel in its aesthetic. Series creatorApril Blairco-directedSelena Gomez’s coming-of-age film,Monte Carlo,and wrote forMax’sGossip Girlreboot. Blair givesJane by Designa whimsical feel and charm while elevating it to an entertaining fashion drama. The drama is all thanks to a snappyAndie MacDowellas a Miranda Presley-like fashion boss. Canceled too soon, it had the potential to walk the runway for several seasons.
What is ‘Jane by Design’ About?
Dasher stars as Jane Quimby, a fashion-obsessed teen outcast at school whose only solace is her best friend and fellow flamboyant outcast, Billy Nutter (Nick Roux). Both from lower-class families, Jane is raised by her older brother, Ben (David Clayton Rogers), who struggles to make ends meet. Jane then discovers a life-changing opportunity to become the assistant to iconic fashion executive Gray Chandler Murray (MacDowell). Lying about her age in the application,she gets hired and lies to the school, saying it’s an internship so she can balance both work and high school. Jane deals with many competitive co-workers who wish to sabotage her, including a conniving fashion designer played byNight Court’sIndia de Beaufort. As Billy helps Jane get away with living a double life, both worlds threaten to collide.
‘Jane By Design’ Is Reminiscent of ‘Pretty in Pink’
The best part ofJane by Designis the playful friendship between Jane and Billy.The two have a charming, playful friendship reminiscent of Annie and Duckie’s in Hughes’sPretty in Pink,played by'80s icon Molly Ringwaldand a youngJon Cryer. It’s similarly basted in visual art and flare, with Billy rocking a mohawk and leather jackets while Jane wears pink tutu skirts and homemade belts that scream originality. Cryer’s breakout performance as the misfit Duckie became one of the many reasonsPretty in Pinkclinched cult-classic status, with his undying love and support of his best friend and fashion connoisseur, Andy. Actor Nick Roux’s out-there performance as Billy is also what makesJane by Designwork, with another refreshing take on male-female friendship.
As two uncool kids who always stay true to themselves, Jane and Billy are bullied and ridiculed, most memorably when they’re pushed into a pool at a cool kids' party. But what sets this series aside, in what could have been a sob story moment, is that Jane and Billy start playing with each other in the pool instead, adding to the irresistible charm the series holds. Pushed into the pool by the rich, popular mean girl, Meagan Tandy (Lulu Pope), who adds a necessary tension to a bright and bubbly series. As Billy starts a secret relationship with her, the teen series blossoms into an obligatory high school love triangle. Pope is great in a role that calls back images of the cruel, privilegedJames SpaderinPretty in Pink.
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‘Jane By Design’ Carries The Spirit of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
Another delightful part ofJane by Designis Andie MacDowell,who harnesses her own version ofMeryl Streep’sMiranda Presley as Jane’s demanding, heartless boss. MacDowell’s sweetheart persona from classic 90s rom-coms likeGroundhog Dayand star-making performance inFour Weddings and a Funeralis gone. Instead, she takes on a cold, blistering demeanor, mostly in vicious FaceTimes with Jane as she demands impossible tasks. MacDowell has a memorable, dramatic introduction scene during the series’s standout episode, “The Runway,” as Jane runs back and forth between a school dance and a fashion show. MacDowell glamorously appears on the stairs like a stylish devil herself as Gray Chandler Murray, just like Streep’s iconic entrance inThe Devil Wears Prada, and her very presence feels like a threat.
For fans of the beloved 2000s film, Jane even gets to travel to Paris in one episode to try and help save Gray’s job, just likeAnne Hathaway’s character, Andy, did.Running for 18 episodes,Jane By Designwas ultimately canceled, though Blair had many plans for a second season. Never taking itself too seriously, Jane ponders if she wants to be just like Gray or the exact opposite as she grows into being her true authentic self.
Jane by Designis available to rent or buy on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
Jane by Design
