If anyone knows how to dress like a Greek goddess, it’s Zendaya. On Monday evening, the 29-year-old actor stepped out in a white Schiaparelli couture gown plucked fresh from the runway. With a moulded, glazed porcelain bustier, gold fringe skirt that blends into silver, and a high-halter-neckline with a racerback, the gown couldn’t have been more on theme for the occasion: the UK premiere for The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s long-awaited adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic.
Zendaya plays Athena, the Greek goddess who serves as a guide to Odysseus (played by Matt Damon) on his return home to Ithaca. Known for her wisdom, intelligence, and mentorship, Athena is a powerhouse of a role, one whose authority and commanding presence the actor has been paying homage to through her statement looks that defy time and space in their own right – that Schiaparelli gown was literally flown from Paris to London on a private jet minutes after debuting at Paris Haute Couture Week.
Later that night, Zendaya debuted a second look comprising a sea-green and blue gown from Valentine’s Fall 2026 collection that came with a leafy, embroidered bralet and a grey draped bodice with cutouts on the side that felt very toga-adjacent – except in the most high fashion way possible.
Monday’s looks were just one of many standouts in the actor’s press tour uniform, which has consisted entirely of Grecian gowns worthy of Mount Olympus. Last week, Zendaya wore a custom ivory Jacquemus gown featuring an open back and an attached headscarf. With large, gold Olympian shield-like drop earrings, the A-list star couldn’t have dressed more aptly for the part.
This is method dressing at its finest, and along with an increasing number of celebrities, Zendaya has a track record as one of its most notable proponents.
Doing what it says on the tin, method dressing is the art of strategically dressing in line with a particular project or occasion. For actors, it’s typically the former: think Margot Robbie in archival Barbie outfits throughout the press tour for her record-breaking 2023 film, or the litany of literary gothic looks she sported during the more recent Wuthering Heights promo tour. Then there were Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s persistent dusky pink and emerald green looks for their Wicked premieres that were in line with their respective role as Glinda and Elphaba. And then there’s Zendaya, whose stylist, Law Roach, is a method dressing maven.
Remember Challengers? Luca Guadagnino’s sultry tennis flick provided the perfect template for Roach when it came to dressing his leading lady for the red carpet. Helping her get into character, the stylist’s looks consisted of white stiletto shoes from Loewe that came with tennis balls on the heels, pleated white mini dresses giving a new fashion spin to the term “tennis whites”, and several custom Lacoste looks paying homage to the French brand’s sporting roots. The actor did it again on the red carpet for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, stepping out for the Italian premiere in a spring 1990 Giorgio Armani dress that featured a sheer black drop-waist dress and silver beaded cobwebs.
“Zendaya is brilliant at method dressing because her looks always feel considered rather than obvious,” explains luxury stylist and image consultant Oriona Rob. “With The Odyssey, she's taking inspiration from the world of the film without looking like she's stepped straight out of wardrobe, and that’s the sweet spot. You want people to recognise the reference, but it still has to feel aspirational and fashion-led.”
That’s the thing: method dressing is about a lot more than simply the clothes you wear. It’s about the version of yourself you want to present to the world
Another key leader in the method dressing space is Emma Corrin, who famously has a propensity for fashion’s wildest idiosyncrasies. At the Schiaparelli couture show on Monday, the 30-year-old actor went full feathered in a high-neck multi-coloured creation from the brand’s previous spring 2026 couture collection. Holding their neck up straight with feathers reaching up to Corrin’s ears, the jacket also featured two black horns poking out from the chest, with a nipped-in waist and long sleeves.
While not necessarily method dressing in its most obvious form, given Corrin was a guest at the show rather than walking the red carpet for a specific film, they are known for their myriad high-concept projects, ranging from Nosferatu to 100 Nights of Hero, and surrealist, avant garde styling choices – they once wore an off-shoulder mini dress resembling a goldfish in a paper bag, as well as a flesh-coloured Loewe dress covered in balloons that featured two three-dimensional chestpieces designed to resemble nipples. Suffice it to say, all this fits neatly into a theme, making it rather methodical after all.
“Emma Corrin approaches it from a different angle, and this Schiaparelli look feels more artistic and experimental, but that's why it works,” adds Robb. “It creates intrigue, and that’s incredibly valuable on a red carpet where everyone is competing for attention.”
Then, of course, there’s the queen of method dressing herself: the Princess of Wales, who has tacitly been doing her own version of the art ever since she stepped into the public eye. Whether it’s choosing specific designers from specific countries to honour a particular heritage for a state visit, sporting an earthy-coloured suit for countryside occasions, or choosing an emerald green wool coat for a Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, Kate always dresses for the occasion, taking into careful consideration what kind of sartorial identity is required of her, and adapting it accordingly.
It’s your visual marketing, messaging, even your personal packaging. It’s not a ‘style uniform’; rather, these women have a way of dressing that is constantly evolving
Clare Chambers, personal brand stylist
That’s the thing: method dressing is about a lot more than simply the clothes you wear. It’s about the version of yourself you want to present to the world. “It’s no longer enough to simply wear a beautiful gown; instead, audiences want to see a connection between the fashion and the film, character, or story that's being promoted,” explains Robb. “With Kate, she’s incredibly thoughtful about what she wears, whether that’s choosing British designers, wearing the colours of the country she's visiting or selecting jewellery with a personal or historical connection. It’s much more subtle, but the thinking behind it is very similar.”
Ultimately, it’s about building a personal brand, something that people can understand on a deeper, more intentional level. “This is the currency to standing out; your signature style is the key to a strong brand identity,” says personal brand stylist Clare Chambers, who views method dressing as the ultimate marketing strategy. “It’s your visual marketing, messaging, even your personal packaging. It’s not a ‘style uniform’; rather, these women have a way of dressing that is constantly evolving to continuously, consistently and consciously communicate visually who they are and what they’re all about right now.”
