“Can we connect the dots of how turned promo tours into Halloween?” read a DM I received on Instagram a couple of weeks ago as Zendaya’s promo tour gained momentum. The actress wore a series of -inspired looks, as subtle as the pair of tennis balls stuck to her custom Loewe stilettos. Gone are the days of a nice evening gown being enough for the lead actor in a film to wear to a premiere.
Now movie stars the part, literally, using their outfits to talk back to their latest film and their own characters. Method dressing as we know it today traces back to Zendaya: well before , Law Roach dressed the actress in looks by her roles, dating back to and . Fashion was a way for the then-budding star to stand out on the red carpet as she promoted her supporting roles.
Many up-and-coming have since followed suit: there was Halle Bailey in aquatic gowns for , Jenna Ortega in dark and gloomy fashion for , and Anya Taylor-Joy as a literal Mario Kart Princess Peach for . Margot Robbie’s stylist, Andrew Mukamal, outfitted her in so many Barbie-inspired looks that the duo published a book, , breaking them all down. But these looks run the risk of being too literal or too -specific.
They can bend — and therefore flatten — fashion to serve the purpose of a costume, context notwithstanding. This makes us, the public, able to only judge its effectiveness in the context of its adherence to a theme. Fashion can be entertainment, but there’s more to it than that.
As the red carpet tak.