"Chic" is a word fashion editors try to avoid. It's so commonly used, it's almost lost its meaning. Only Zendaya, arriving in Paris for Challengers press, could bring back to life the French word for all things inherently stylish and elegant.
The 27-year-old actress and fashion obsessive appeared on Saturday, April 6, at Paris's Maison de l'Amérique Latine wearing a mod checkered mini dress styled by Law Roach. Unlike her previous Challengers outfits on the Sydney leg of the tour, her mini limited sporty references to a candy apple shade of green that's reminiscent of a tennis court.
Zendaya coordinated her thigh-high, long-sleeve coat dress with a white, bow-topped headband and pointed-toe Louboutin pumps. (Fans will see more of those shoes soon: Roach dedicated an entire Instagram video to the pile of Louboutin heels in Zendaya's dressing room.) Delicate pieces of Bulgari rounded out the look.
On Instagram, Law Roach shared behind-the-scenes video of Zendaya's photocall and also revealed the credits. Her look was pulled from Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2013 collection, designed by former creative director Marc Jacobs. Zendaya's sixties styling hewed close to the way her dress appeared on the runway just over a decade ago—minus a twin model coordinating in another checkered dress.
Much of the archival runway collection, including Zendaya's look, featured oversize "Danier" checkerboard prints, recognizable from Louis Vuitton's Speedy bags and luggage. The motif's presence on the runway marked a moment of fashion history: This Vuitton runway collection was the first to abstain from printing or embellishing the iconic LV logo onto the pieces. "Instead, the Damier pattern provides the house's signature," show notes said at the time.
In true Zendaya fashion, one look wasn't enough for the first day of press in Paris. A few hours later, she changed into a silky chartreuse matching set. Her second look featured cargo pockets on the blouse and hints of satin detailing on the pant legs, which she emphasized with a pair of metallic platform heels. These tennis green separates came from another Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton collection—this time, the Spring/Summer 1999 lineup. (That makes the set almost as old as Zendaya.)
On Instagram, Roach shared videos of Zendaya wearing the set before a sea of flashing cameras as well as archival video of her look heading down the runway. It was originally presented with a coordinating moto helmet and a leather bag belted at the waist on the catwalk.
Zendaya started the Challengers press tour with outfits that took "method dressing," or red carpet dressing that references her character's wardrobe, literally. She arrived at the Sydney premiere in a sequined Loewe tennis dress with the trompe-l'œil effect of a player's shadow serving the ball; later on her stop down under, she wore a deconstructed Lacoste sports bra and tennis net skirt. She's also appeared at professional matches and press conferences in casual tenniscore outfits by sportswear brands like K-Way, and luxury hoodies from the likes of Louis Vuitton.
Two fresh looks in Paris show the Challengers tennis aesthetic has more range than pleated skirts and polos. Fans are just seeing the start.
This post has been updated with additional outfit credits and details.
