ZENDAYA STUNS WHILE METHOD DRESSING FOR THE “CHALLENGERS” PRESS TOUR
BY CAMI SEYMORE PHOTOS BY PROVIDED
Zendaya is known for method dressing during press tours for her films, and “Challengers” is no exception.
The film follows Tashi Duncan, portrayed by Zendaya, an aspiring tennis player turned coach after a career-ending injury. Tashi coaches her husband, Art (Mike Faist), and transforms him into a world renowned tennis player. However, tensions run high when Art competes against Patrick (Josh O’Connor), his former best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend.
Director Luca Guadaningo, who also directed “Call Me By Your Name” and “The Bones and All,” is known for his depictions of promiscuity, hyper sexuality, and intense sexual tension. So when the trailer for “Challengers” dropped in February 2024, depicting stars Zendaya, Faist, and O’Connor sharing a passionate three-way kiss, excitement for the film exploded.
“Challengers” was set for a theatrical release on April 22, so the stars of the film went on a month-long press tour to promote it. As a marketing tactic, many celebrities have started “method dressing,” where they incorporate elements of the film’s characters, setting, or themes in their outfits on the red carpet.
Zendaya has been known for themed looks on the red carpet before, most notably for the "Spider-Man" premieres, "Dune: Part Two" and most recently, for "Challengers." Zendaya wore over 30 looks for the “Challengers” tour, but a select few really brought the movie to life.
Zendaya first stepped out in a glittering green Loewe gown that featured the shadow of a tennis player serving on the torso. According to an interview with Vogue, the figure printed on the dress was a still of Zendaya’s character from the actual movie.
In Rome, her second look was similarly on theme; she donned a silver pleated tennis dress with a deep v-neck. Additionally, she completed the look with custom Loewe heels, featuring actual tennis balls piercing through each of the heels.
At the Los Angeles premiere, Zendaya let go of the tennis motif and wore a lingerie-corset gown by Vera Wang, which captured the sex appeal of the film rather than the tennis.
The actress switched back to tennis for the after party, with a plunging neon green gown by Celia Kritharioti, featuring a tennis ball detail at the bottom of the v-neck.
Off the red carpet, Zendaya wore an archival Louis Vuitton green and white checkered minidress at a photocall in Paris. The shade of green matched the hue of a tennis ball or court, making it a subtle but distinguishable reference to the sport.
Perhaps her best look was at the London premiere, where Zendaya wore a pleated collar gown by Thom Browne that showcased a pattern of tennis racquet motifs across the bodice, with red, white, and blue netting along the train.
While the theming for some of her outfits were criticized for being overly literal, by implementing these tennis motifs, Zendaya’s outfits were memorable and showed how tennis served as the basis of a provocative and sensual film.
