If her press tour looks are any indication, Zendaya appears to be particularly attached to her latest role. As the Golden Globe winner, 27, promoted her hotly anticipated new movie Challengers, she donned a jeweled mini dress by Greek designer Celia Kritharioti, which featured her face as illustrated on the movie’s poster.
“[Challengers] but make it FASHION…..Tashi Made Her Wear It,” wrote Zendaya’s close friend and “image architect” Law Roach, who shared a photo on Friday of her sporting the look. “Thank you @celiakritharioti for bringing the Challengers Movie Poster to life,” the stylist added.
Roach, 45, also shared a photo of the dress being constructed, with the center panel featuring a close-up of Zendaya’s face. The Challengers poster shows Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, peering over a pair of sunglasses at Mike Faist’s Art Donaldson and Josh O’Connor’s Patrick Zweig facing off in a tennis match.
Zendaya — who is co-chairing the Met Gala this year — has previously served a number of tennis-inspired looks while promoting the film around the world with her co-stars and director Luca Guadagnino. She has inspired a new trend known as “tennis-core” after donning pleated skirts, a hoodie dress, preppy polos and vintage Ralph Lauren.
Zendaya stars in Challengers as Tashi, a retired tennis pro who coached her husband Art to grand slam status after an injury took her out of the sport. Tashi convinces Art to play a challenger event, bringing him across the net from Patrick, his childhood friend and her ex.
Zendaya’s boyfriend Tom Holland played cheerleader on Instagram, promoting the movie over the weekend. “I know what I’m doing this weekend!” he captioned the poster on Saturday. He also shared the trailer to his Instagram Story. “Challengers is out now! Let’s goooo!” he wrote.
“There has been talk of marriage, and that is a reality,” a source told People this week. “[Zendaya and Holland] are not the kind of stars who put their lives together out there on social media for the most part,” the insider added. “Both are private.”
Challengers is now playing in theaters.
