In ‘Challengers,’ Zendaya plays a tennis star named Tashi Duncan. Her clothes are central to her identity. The character is sponsored by Adidas and dressed in sporty, rich clothing by designer Jonathan Anderson.
“She’s going to have a fashion line,” one of Tashi’s suitors predicts to another in the trailer. “She will make her whole family millionaires.”
Fashion is equally important to the real Zendaya, a tool for image creation and money-making. She has become a defining star of the modern film press tour. Coverage of these appearances can be frenzied, with each stop generating thousands of articles and social media posts. There is a New York premiere, Mexico City photo call, Seoul press conference, etc.
The heat is turned up when the actors resort to thematic dressing. The “Barbie” cast fell in love with pink outfits that looked straight out of a vintage toy box. The 'Madame Web' stars wrapped themselves in sparkly fishnet gowns. Kristen Stewart wore tiny clothes to promote her erotic thriller 'Love Lies Bleeding'.
Still, no one can generate as much attention as Zendaya. For example, he wore a vintage Mugler robot suit to the London premiere of “Dune: Part Two” last February. (Her obvious theme for this press tour is future desert warrior queens.) As of this moment, data analytics firm Launchmetrics has valued Mugler's media influence at $13.3 million, according to Women's Wear Daily.
Zendaya's 'Dune: Part 2' red carpet look
But despite Zendaya's dedication to cosplay, she didn't wear Adidas ahead of filming the Luca Guadagnino film 'Challengers', which is scheduled to be released in late March. She's wearing a preppy look created by her actual sponsor, Louis Vuitton. Louis Vuitton is a luxury brand that is gaining increasing attention in the sports world.
In the promotional image released on March 12, Zendaya wears a buttery sweater with a deep V neckline, relaxed white shorts, and white pumps. She looks like the toughest stepmom in the country club, right down to the long flowing bob. Her stylist and image architect, Law Roach, praised her Louis Vuitton and Bulgari outfits.
Afterwards, Zendaya attended the BNP Paribas Open held in Indian Wells, California on March 17 and watched the women's final. Louis Vuitton again dressed her in white tennis clothes, including a pullover, tank top, and pleated culottes. She accessorized with white sneakers, a small monogrammed purse (a neon yellow coin purse shaped like a tennis ball), and her boyfriend, actor Tom Holland. They sat down and sang along to Whitney Houston's song.
Zendaya, who trained for “Challengers” with famed coach Brad Gilbert, later posed for a photo with Iga Swiatek, winner of the event and the sport's highest-ranked female athlete .
She seemed more relaxed on Sunday's “Tenniscore,” breaking away from the rigors of the “Dune” chapter. It wasn't just her cyborg appearance that made her seem otherworldly. (The Mugler fembot outfit was followed by a vintage circuit board Givenchy skirt set.) Crisp white gowns by Alaïa (Paris) and Stéphane Rolland (New York) also gave her the gravitas of a sci-fi empress at her state dinner. .
Now she is coming back to Earth. Or at least a tennis court. Mr. Swiatek said after his victory: “Meeting Zendaya was crazy, but on the other hand she was human like all of us.”