Zendaya portrays tennis player Tashi Duncan in the film “Challengers.” Her attire plays a major role in who she is; Jonathan Anderson, the character’s costume designer, dresses her in opulent, athletic clothing sponsored by Adidas.
In the teaser, one of Tashi’s suitors tells another, “She’ll have a fashion line.” “She’s going to make her family all multimillionaires.”
For the real Zendaya, fashion is a means of enhancing one’s image and generating revenue. She is now regarded as a key figure in the contemporary film press tour. Every appearance, whether a news conference in Seoul, a photo call in Mexico City, or a premiere in New York, can generate thousands of stories and social media posts. Coverage of these appearances can be frenzied.
When performers embrace theme clothing, the fever rises. The “Barbie” actors wore an overwhelming amount of pink, risqué outfits that seemed to come from old toy boxes. The “Madame Web” stars decked themselves out in gaudy net dresses. To promote her sensual thriller “Love Lies Bleeding,” Kristen Stewart dressed less.
However, hardly any can draw as much attention as Zendaya. Take her February London premiere of “Dune: Part Two,” where she donned a vintage Mugler robot outfit. (This press tour seems to have her futuristic desert warrior queen as its theme.) According to Women’s Wear Daily, the data analytics firm Launchmetrics estimated that Mugler’s media effect from this one moment was worth $13.3 million.
However, Zendaya hasn’t been wearing Adidas in the run-up to “Challengers,” the Luca Guadagnino movie that opens in late March, despite her dedication to cosplay. She is dressed in preppy ensembles created by Louis Vuitton, her actual sponsor, and a high-end company with a growing presence in the sports industry.
Zendaya appeared in a promotional photo on March 12 sporting a loose white pair of shorts, white shoes, and a buttery sweater with a deep V neckline. She looked like the most intimidating stepmom at the country club, right down to her long, blown-out bob. The image architect Law Roach, who serves as her stylist, gave credit for the ensemble to Bulgari and Louis Vuitton.
Then, on March 17, Zendaya went to Indian Wells, California, to watch the women’s final of the BNP Paribas Open. She wore tennis whites from Louis Vuitton once more: a pleated skort, a tank top, and a pullover. She accessorized with her boyfriend, actor Tom Holland, and white sneakers, a little monogram purse with an attached bright yellow coin purse that resembled a tennis ball. They took their seats and sang along to Whitney Houston.
Zendaya, who trained under renowned coach Brad Gilbert for “Challengers,” then posed for pictures with match winner and top-ranked women’s player Iga Swiatek.
After the harshness of her “Dune” chapter, she appeared more relaxed in her Sunday “tennis core.” She seemed unearthly for reasons other than only her cybernetic appearance. (That Givenchy skirt set from the old circuit board was worn after that Mugler fembot outfit.) She also had the gravitas of a sci-fi empress at a state supper thanks to her immaculate white gowns from Stéphane Rolland in New York and Alaïa in Paris.
She is now returning to Earth. or the tennis court, at any rate. “Meeting Zendaya was crazy, but on the other hand, she’s a human like all of us,” Ms. Swiatek said following her victory.
