Trending: The Themed Press Tour
It started with Dune and has now moved on to The Challengers. Are you really doing a press tour unless you are dressing to match the movie? Zendaya shows us how. And meet your new BFF - the DBD...
Zendaya must be a publicist’s dream. Actually sorry - correction: she is everyone’s dream. Tall, beautiful, eloquent and dating a Spiderman. She is the only actress that I know of who is rocking a single name. Apart from Madonna and Cher but they are ‘strokies’ so it doesn’t really count (musician stroke actress stroke icon etc. etc.). Her loveability and, quite frankly, my enviability just keeps growing with every appearance in the public eye. She has been tapping up Hollywood’s hottest stylist Law Roach for looks that extend the visual mood of whatever film she is endorsing. In doing so she has taken press tour dressing to a whole new level of styling decadence. Zendaya now IS the press tour. Like who cares about the film when Zendaya is rocking tennis ball spiked Loewe heels (see below)? In fact do you even have a film if Zendaya and her immaculate wardrobe aren’t in it?
What starts with M? Monkey, marshmallow and oh yes - Minion. Not much scope there for a stylish spin around the costume hire atelier is there?
I recently started feeling like dress up was a little bit overdone. This probably has something to do with me planning my 40'th (gasp) birthday party. Does anyone really want to revisit Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes (yes an actual theme to an actual party I went to in my 20’s). And then all of those bachelorettes and 21sts - ‘come dressed as something starting with the first letter of your name’. Well what starts with M? Monkey, marshmallow and oh yes - Minion. Not much scope there for a stylish spin around the costume hire atelier is there? So let’s save the angel wings for Halloween and move on shall we? But watching Zendaya strut the carpets and photo calls in such cleverly put together outfits is making me feel like maybe a trip to the ole dress up box is not just reserved for 9 year olds…
Costume dressing has always featured on the red carpet and in our image saturated world this makes complete sense. Let’s think back to the hot pink mess that was the Barbie tour ( too much Margot - just too much). Also the touches of futuristic costume at the premieres of The Valerian and The City Of a Thousand Planets ( I have no idea what film this is but Cara Delevingne looked sensational) and Michaela Coel sporting a casual breastplate to promote Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on the Graham Norton show keeps me interested.
I would say Spiderman was the major start of Zendaya’s road to press tour styling nirvana. Who could forget this stunning, spidery custom Valentino Haute Couture dress by Pierpaolo Piccioli. Or the Roberto Cavalli backless maxi featuring a gold piece tracing her spinal cord—a subtle nod to the mechanical arms of the film’s villain.
And then Dune ramped up some serious style notches on Zendaya’s skinny belt. From Rolland 2024 couture to Mugler archival pieces, the tour made the actual film’s costumes look like they had been dug out of a bargain bin rental. This Balmain wet look situation has to be one of my most favourite looks of ALL TIME. On anyone ever. The sculptural quality, the accessories, the hair, the make up. ALL OF IT.
And Law’s cleverness on both Dune tours was such that the looks were a nod to the films but not a Princess Leia ode to the film itself. Except for the crazy Mugler archival robotics outfit. But that was wild. It was out of this world wild and as per usual Zendaya makes it work. Because its still fashion dahlin, the robot has heels for goodness sake. And this is a look that Zendaya might not have been able to pull off because it was built for the wearer. Think of all those joints…
And now her latest tennis themed film The Challengers takes her COS play to fashionable new heights. Wimbledon whites, racket logos and strategically placed tennis balls mean every appearance is considered and on point (LOL see what I did there). The media is going wild for it with captions including “Zendaya serves up another winner…” and “Zendaya is smashing red carpet fashion.” Some might feel its OTT but I’m all for extending the visual fantasy of the film itself. It’s playful and fun but still glam AF. So maybe that 40th birthday party should be an ode to my love of fashion - as the world becomes more and more ‘normcore’ in all its 50 shades of SKIMS brown it might be time to branch out, Zendaya style. I think I’m going to slide into styling god Law Roachs’ DM’s. If he’s good enough for Zendaya maybe he could help a girl out with her birthday party…
The Challengers is out on the 26th of April.
Some of my fav looks of The Challengers press tour…
Icons: THE DBD
It’s probably counter productive doing a wardrobe icon pairing with the above mentioned frivolity but in my need to be consistent I’m sticking to my guns and sharing another item that I feel deserves its place in every chic wardrobe. I’m going to call this the little DEMURE BLACK DRESS or DBD for short. Now I know we all need a little black dress but no one has ever specified what kind of black dress. A shift dress? A strappy silk? Maybe more of a boho vibe? A little black boob tube number? [Side note the word boob tube gives me the heebie-jeebies. Say it out loud: boob tube. Ew. It’s right up there with ‘moist’.]
In the interest of being helpful I’m going to narrow it down for you. The DBD is a dress for all occasions that you panic over and are never prepared for. That last minute premiere invite (cause you need to look rocking next to Zendaya). A dinner with your partner’s boss. A funeral. A parent-teacher conference. Meeting future in-laws. This item lives in your wardrobe for that ‘in case of emergency’ moment. And you never think to get it when out shopping but when you need it, you NEED it. It says sophisticated but slightly undone. The fabric is not too slinky, definitely not cotton daywear. There is an appropriate hem length but also a well fitted silhouette. It’s stylish but NOT trendy. It doesn’t reveal too much skin. You can dress it up with some Mary Janes or down with your scuffed up Vejas. Basically it is the international all dress code item that will live in your wardrobe rent free because you will end up using it time and time again. Here are some examples that I think tick this wardrobe box. Get shopping and set up your sartorial safety net before Zendaya calls…
Clockwise from top:
Pintucked dress with lace trims, R899, Zara. Collared dress, R379, H&M. ZW Collection dress with side draped detail, R1 699, Zara. Column knit dress, R2 299, Country Road. Draped midi dress, R899, Zara. High neck, balloon sleeve column dress, R999, Luella. Frankie Knit Dress, R1 099, Poetry. (main inset image) Draped jersey dress, R379, H&M.