Roach calls the duo’s thematic approach to red carpets “method dressing” — a nod to acting technique — and it’s a hallmark of the duo’s collaboration.
Throughout the film’s international premieres and the cast’s promotional appearances, Zendaya offered looks with tennis whites, collars and pleats, sportswear fabrics like mesh, and even real tennis balls.
Life in plastic is fantastic! 10 of the Best Celebrity Barbie Dolls in History
Life in plastic is fantastic! 10 of the Best Celebrity Barbie Dolls in History
These sporty-yet-chic silhouettes dominated her promotional appearances and photo shoots — including an April 14 stop in Milan, where she sported a 1992 Ralph Lauren dress that Cindy Crawford originally modeled.
Some of her other outfits were edgier, featuring real tennis balls. While visiting Rome, Zendaya wore a custom, shimmering Loewe dress with a pleated skirt — a prime example of the elevated tenniscore looks she and Roach created. The main attraction of the ensemble, however, were the stiletto heels with tennis balls at the bottom of the heels.
Another tennis ball appeared as the centerpiece of a custom bright green dress at the premiere’s afterparty in Los Angeles. The bold look came hours after Zendaya hit the red carpet in a black and pink corset ballgown, leading fans to think it marked the end of her press tour method of dressing.
Some of Zendaya’s looks were less obvious than others, like those that featured pops of tennis ball chartreuse or tennis whites. Roach said an all-white look paid homage to Althea Gibson, one of the first black athletes to play international tennis and the first black player to win a Grand Slam event title.
“You want to do it right and you want to make them proud,” Roach said. “And you can’t really get a better compliment than from someone like Venus Williams.”
How Fendi’s It bag, the Baguette, made a comeback
How Fendi’s It bag, the Baguette, made a comeback
A lot Challengers the sets also incorporated silhouettes or styles from the 1960s and 1970s, likely in recognition of the period when women’s tennis was gaining popularity and attention. In a mod checkered look from Louis Vuitton, the star was able to draw inspiration from tennis without overdoing it. She also wore a ’60s-inspired pink dress with a tennis-style collar and modern cutouts on her torso.
The brightest and most talked about look from her tour was Zendaya’s custom Loewe dress that featured the silhouette of a tennis player preparing to serve a ball. She wore the shimmering green dress with matching heels to the premiere in Sydney in March, which started the conversation about her long history of method dressing.
“Me and Law always find inspiration in the films that I make,” Zendaya said in a recent interview with Vogue. “A butterfly isn’t the theme per se, but it’s this costume idea. You’re the greatest showman, so it’s all drama, and that’s what this dress was for me.
Zendaya and Roach are pioneers of the dressing method, but Roach acknowledges that others have used the technique before them.
“We can take some responsibility in bringing this trend to the forefront, but we don’t think we’re the first to do it,” Roach said. “Geena Davis did it in 1992 at the premiere of A league of its own – she had this little white dress with baseball stitching. Glenn Close did it when she played Cruella de Vil. We’re not saying that we invented it, but we were very instrumental in it for these latest films which [Zendaya has] been in it.
Inside Euphoria Fashion, the stylish new book from the hit HBO series
Inside Euphoria Fashion, the stylish new book from the hit HBO series
Other stars have sported looks inspired by their past projects – most recently Jenna Ortega for WednesdayHalle Bailey for The little MermaidDakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney for Madame Weband Zoë Kravitz for The Batman. Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson and Keira Knightley also followed this trend years ago.
The sartorial method is probably here to stay, and Roach hopes it will spread from red carpets to movie theaters. Roach predicts tenniscore looks will take over this summer and was reposted on social media Challengers theatergoers in their tennis skirts and chic white looks.
“It’s just fun,” he said. “There’s a lot going on in the world and I’m not naive to think that fashion or cinema can change that. But I think sometimes you just need to add something that can bring joy to people’s lives. »
