Two Zendaya Looks Weren't Enough for One Day
Zendaya hit the Challengers premiere red carpet in Paris, France, with a message: Three Louis Vuitton looks in a day are so much better than one.
For her third and final appearance on April 6, the actress arrived in tennis whites (Zendaya's Version). Her custom Louis Vuitton look consisted of a white, strapless drop-waist gown with a structured bodice that extended into a gauzy, floor-length skirt. A criss-crossing leather belt, also in bright white, was secured at her waist, while an asymmetric train flowed behind her.
Working with stylist Law Roach, Zendaya accessorized her custom Louis Vuitton gown with a Bulgari diamond choker necklace and stud earrings. Her newly honey-blonde hair was curled in soft, Old Hollywood waves that cascaded down the low back of her dress.
Shortly after the angelic look appeared on the red carpet, Law Roach posted behind-the-scenes photos of Zendaya's gown in the Louis Vuitton studio. "The DRESS," he captioned the image, before thanking Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière for the custom piece.
Of all the looks Zendaya has worn on her Challengers press tour so far, this was her most ethereal take on the film's tenniscore costuming. (White is a prevalent color in professional tennis outfits; at Wimbledon, one of tennis's most prestigious tournaments, it's the only shade players are allowed to wear.) The last time she opted for tennis whites, in Sydney, she wore a bedazzled Lacoste sports bra and deconstructed netted skirt.
Otherwise, her Challengers fashion has paid homage to her character, tennis phenomenon Tashi Duncan, with more on-the-nose details and silhouettes: pleated skirts and hoodies (by Louis Vuitton, for an appearance at a tennis match), a sequined player's shadow (by Loewe, at the Sydney, Australia, premiere), and a whole lot of tenniscore green (by sportswear brand K-Way, at a Sydney press conference).
In fact, Zendaya had started her stop in Paris to promote the Luca Guadagnino film in back-to-back Louis Vuitton outfits splashed with court-coded green. The first, a checkerboard mini dress, came from Marc Jacobs' Spring/Summer 2013 collection for the house. Her second look consisted of a silky shirt and matching trousers from the Spring/Summer 1999 collection, both coated in tennis ball chartreuse. The designer is a savvy choice for a stay in Paris: Louis Vuitton is synonymous with French fashion. (And, Zendaya is one of its many brand ambassadors.)
Zendaya and Roach are masters of "method dressing," or coordinating red carpet looks with her on-screen characters. Throughout the Dune: Part Two press tour, Zendaya channeled the sci-fi warrior Chani in otherworldly vintage including a Mugler robot suit and tech-inspired Givenchy cyborg couture.
Challengers takes place on and around major tennis tournaments, so the press tour is a perfect opportunity for Zendaya to experiment with sport-inspired fashion through contemporary silhouettes and designers. Her back-to-back-to-back Paris looks are just the latest examples: The actress is expected to make a few more international stops on the promo tour, with custom and archival fashion flexes in tow.
