Turns out, Zendaya's affinity for custom Wimbledon white styling didn't end with the official Challengers press tour. On the red carpet for the 2024 Gotham Awards, held Dec. 2 in New York City, Z kicked off her awards season campaign in a streamlined, bespoke Louis Vuitton gown.
The match-winning dress, coordinated with stylist Law Roach, is a major break from the oversize coats and cozy Reformation sweaters she's worn while filming A24's The Drama in Boston earlier this month. Her gown on Monday night featured a halter neckline with teeny-tiny straps and a body-skimming skirt that gently pooled around her ankles. Zendaya accessorized it with a single diamond cocktail ring and a slicked-back updo, plus heels that went unseen beneath her dress. Based on her styling for literally every other red carpet, I can assume she's hiding a pair of her signature Louboutin pumps.
The surprise appearance served two style purposes: Painting an elegant picture for the actor to accept the 2024 Spotlight Tribute award for her performance as tennis player Tashi Duncan, and picking up the themes of her spring press tour to campaign for even more trophies. Awards season is officially underway, and Zendaya is, according to industry outlets like Variety, in the running for at least an Oscar nomination. Naturally, she and Roach would look toward her best looks from the Challengers press tour to bring her role to the top of red carpet viewers' minds.
In an interview with Vogue, Law Roach said the look intended to pay homage to Zendaya's character without going over-the-top. "It feels in the same vein as this character we created for Tashi Duncan, but it’s not as character-driven as the press tour,” he said. "It’s a little carry-over—maybe it’s Tashi a few years later. But it’s mostly Zendaya, and where she is right now."
Zendaya chose dresses honoring Wimbledon's famed all-white dress code for several Challengers premieres last spring. While she and Roach tried kitschy sequin tennis racket dresses by Thom Browne and elegant vintage by Ralph Lauren, one of the most breathtaking interpretations came in the form of a custom, strapless Louis Vuitton gown for the Paris premiere. That dress featured a semi-sheer skirt and a belted drop waist, which Z accessorized with Bulgari diamonds.
Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière has also dressed Zendaya in custom looks for occasions from a pre-Olympics gala to a regular-shmegular date night with boyfriend Tom Holland. Technically, Z is an ambassador for the house, so she's bound to spend a lot of time shopping at Louis Vuitton's new flagship and sitting in its front row. (And while wearing everything from Louis Vuitton blazer dresses to Neverfull tote bags.) But as Zendaya establishes herself as a leading lady in the eyes of Hollywood, Vuitton's rich history and affinity for sharp, stately gowns sets it up as a strong choice for an award-winning style campaign.
I'm calling it now: Whether she's nominated next spring or not, Zendaya will almost certainly wear white Louis Vuitton to the 2025 Academy Awards.
