You can take Zendaya off the Challengers press tour, but you can't take the Challengers press tour palette out of Zendaya's wardrobe. You also can't keep Zendaya from throwing a few new sport-inspired style moves, like the equestrian boot trend, into the mix.
Zendaya made a surprise appearance at Slave Play's press night at the Noel Coward Theatre in London, England, on July 10. Hugging playwright Jeremy O. Harris at a reception following the show, the actress looked like she could have walked out of an interview for her tennis-themed film. Her sweater hit two Challengers-coded notes at once: It's chartreuse (like a tennis ball—and close to the brat green color trend) and it's vintage Dior (like many of the other archival pulls she wore on the tour).
The second half of Zendaya's look leaned into New England prep, including a beige mini skirt and a pair of knee-high leather riding boots. In its way, this is also aligned with Z's Challengers wardrobe: her custom tennis sets from On, and some of her vintage pulls, had the country club energy her boots exude. In this case, Zendaya could have been dressed for an afternoon watching tennis instead of playing it. (Of course, we know she was actually spending the evening indoors to watch a Tony-nominated play's debut across the pond.)
It's been a few months since Zendaya took over the global fashion circuit with her marathon of vintage Ralph Lauren blazers, remixed Wimbledon tennis white gowns by Louis Vuitton, and court-inspired Loewe, all in service of promoting Challengers. She and stylist Law Roach have still found ways to bring "method dressing," or styling that channels a character, into her post-premiere wardrobe. In May, Zendaya supported boyfriend Tom Holland at his Romeo + Juliet premiere in an Elizabethan-inspired gown by Vivienne Westwood. Between the corseted bodice and the dramatic necklace, she blended right in with the production—minus the fact that she's globally-known actress Zendaya.
Zendaya's latest outfit for a night out in London is also one of her first to wink at broader trends. Equestrian boots are usually a fall staple, but adventurous guests at Couture Fashion Week have styled knee-high, leather shoes with longer shorts and mini skirts—never mind the soaring temperatures outside. Runway beyond heritage houses like Burberry have also toyed with equestrian codes in recent collections, bringing horse girl energy to the fore in the form of saddle bags and tall leather boots. If anyone can make the summer boot trend go beyond fashion week, Zendaya can. Shop pairs inspired by her ahead, then pair them with a little mini skirt and the lightweight knit of your choice. (Dior tags not required.)
