Zendaya Gives Tennis Dress a New Meaning at the 'Challengers' Premiere

Zendaya always commits to the role, on the screen and on the red carpet. Next month, she'll star in the new Luca Guadagnino tennis movie Challengers, and she's already doubling down on fashion choices that channel the film.

Last night, the actress wore a green, glittering custom Loewe gown to the Challengers premiere in Sydney, Australia, complete with matching pointed-toe heels and diamond dangle earrings. She was dressed by her long-time stylist Law Roach, who presumably enlisted Loewe for a special reason: The house's creative director, Jonathan Anderson, also designed the costumes for Challengers.

At first glance, the dress looks to have an abstract black spray-paint design. Upon closer inspection, the splatter is shaped like a tennis player's silhouette, getting ready to serve. In one hand, the shadow holds a racket. The other is throwing a tennis ball in the air, which lands somewhere around Zendaya's ribcage in the form of a black, green, and silver sparkling orb.

Roach often dresses Zendaya in Loewe. The Spanish "cool girl" upper-mid-range luxury brand is perfect for the people's princess of fashion. The premiere gown's long lines, plunging neck, and dramatic leg slit are also classic Zendaya calling cards.

Before she hit the carpet, Roach styled Zendaya in a relaxed, preppy, tennis-inspired get-up to do press. She wore striped blue-and-white shorts and a loose, half-tucked-in blue button down from Elisabetta Franchi. The star dressed up the look with Bulgari jewelry and bright white Christian Louboutin stiletto heels.

"Dressing the part" is a familiar strategy for Roach and Zendaya. As recent as last month, the duo adapted Zendaya's style to fit a sci-fi mold, as the actress promoted Dune: Part Two wearing vintage Mugler à la C-3PO and a futuristic, sculptural Ala?a number.

It's not just this pair who goes all-in with cinematic references on the red carpet: The method dressing trend really hit its peak last summer with Margot Robbie wearing strictly girly pink for the Barbie movie.