Will ‘Challengers’ Elevate The Status of Sportswear?
If anyone can be it all and do it all, it's fashion's favorite duo: Zendaya and Law Roach. The pair, who first allied in the 2010s, has been responsible for some of the best fashion moments of all times. From digging iconic archives — such as Mugler's Fall-Winter 1995 couture robot suit at the Dune premiere — to fully diving into characters’ essence, the actress and the stylist have always shut down every red carpet and caused fuss on the internet.
And for ‘Challengers’, Luca Guadagnino's production, things wouldn’t be different. The film follows Tashi, an ex-tennis phenom who became a coach of Art, her husband. She did transform him into a world-famous champion, but after a while he's on a losing streak. In the belief of having everything under control, her comeback strategy for him is turned upside down when he has to compete against Patrick — his ex-best friend and Tashi's ex-boyfriend — in a match that will reignite past tensions.
Besides the portrayed sport and its undeniable preppy feel, the costume production, made by Loewe’s and J.W Anderson’s creative director Jonathan Anderson, just increased the movie’s fashion appeal. Just like the film is divided into two distinct periods, so are Tashi's fashion eras. In 2006, she’s a promising tennis player with a style based on the renowned sportswear labels Adidas, Nike, Mizuno, Onitsuka Tiger, and Uniqlo. She embodies a professional American athlete who transcends the traditional preppy tennis look. "It’s just everyday wear, and it’s set in the world of competitive tennis. What I was obsessed about was that in America, Americans buy the brand — it’s McDonald’s; it’s Nike. And there are so many undercurrents in the business of being a tennis player. I liked that it’s a story of how you become successful through branding," Jonathan Anderson said in an interview for W Magazine.
Although in the past the character's branding was much more reliant on sportswear, in 2019, things change. As a retired tennis player, her husband's coach, and a mother, Tashi has a mature, elegant, and sophisticated style with neutral shades and refined jewelry.
Despite the fact that the movie contains this fashion flair, when it comes to elevating the status of sportswear, the work is mostly done off-screen by Zendaya and Law Roach. It's not that the movie doesn't have enough space for sportswear. In the many moments in which the characters of Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist and Zendaya play and practice, sportswear adorns the screen and leads the audience to visualize the activity. But the actress and the stylist manage to read between the lines of the theme much better for press and carpets.
The ‘Challengers’ press tour began on March 26, with the cast members attending events and conferences worldwide, from Australia to the United States. In Sydney’s premiere, the actress graced the carpet in a custom Loewe shiny green gown with a trompe l’oeil tennis player and ball. For the Australian press, Zendaya wore a sporty-chic custom Lacoste high-neck white top and a high-waisted netted, floor-length skirt with a thigh-high slit covered in sparkles.
The choice of the brand seems to be no coincidence. After all, Lacoste was created by a tennis player who changed the way players dressed forever. In 1993, Jean René Lacoste, a former tennis player who won seven individual Grand Slam titles, founded the company focused on producing polo shirts to meet athletes' needs for comfortable tennis apparel. But Lacoste innovated with a breathable "petit piqué" cotton fabric that offered the wearer more comfort and flexibility.
In addition to the brand's association with sports and creations in that realm, Lacoste is also known for its distinctive elegance, which has contributed to its reputation as one of the most prominent preppy brands in history. Since then, its preppiness has associated tennis with fashion forever, and the recent film tour by Guadagnino has served to reinforce that.
While promoting the movie, Zendaya and Law Roach are putting together looks that combine both sport and fashion and all the elegance involved in each. In Rome’s photocall, the actress wore a custom Loewe sparkly minidress reminiscent of a tennis uniform, with black lines on the sides and waist, paired white Loewe pumps with tennis balls on the high heels.
The following events continued the flow of a touch of high fashion in sportswear. At the London premiere, Zendaya walked the red carpet in a custom Thom Browne halter dress with tennis rackets printed all over it. Its pleated skirt was adorned with a netting material and a red-with-dark-blue stripe across the footing.
Still quite preppy, in Milan's photocall, the actress was photographed in a white single-front dress with collar, back neckline, fitted bodice, and short skirt from Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer 1992, modeled by model Cindy Crawford. The expensive sporty energy was enhanced in Monaco, where Zendaya attended the photocall in a knitted sweater with a collar and a tailored maxi skirt from the Brune Cucinelli Fall/Winter 2024 collection.
Then, at Los Angeles 'Challengers' premiere after-party, the star was styled in a custom Celia Kritharioti neon green halter dress with a tennis ball attached at the center.
While one might think that the references would only be about the activity, in Monaco the duo revealed that what they had shown earlier was just the foreplay — now it was time for the players' references. The actress donned a custom-made On tank top and pleated skirt, recreating one of Althea Gibson’s iconic ensembles. Gibson was one of the first Black athletes to cross the racial segregation of international tennis, competing in Wimbledon, a London-based sporting event. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam event. Altogether, Gibson has won 11 Grand Slam tournaments, being one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
The fashion's favorite duo also made a way to honor the sport's favorite duo, Venus and Serena Williams. In a photo shared by Law Roach and photographed by make-up artist Ernesto Casillas, Zendaya poses in a custom Carolina Herrera black and white striped gown, re-created by Wes Gordon, in homage to a photo of Williams' sisters from the 1998 Vogue issue by Annie Leibovitz in Herrera's gowns.
When one thinks of tennis, the Williams sisters spring to mind. Not only did they show themselves to be prodigies from an early age, but they also broke barriers in a predominantly white sector. Besides being renowned for pushing boundaries in the sport and their numerous victories, the Williams sisters were also known for their fearless styles and the many innovations in tennis wear.
From Venus wearing a cutout tennis dress at the 1999 Grand Slam Cup to Serena's denim tennis outfit at the 2004 US Open Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, both sisters brought an unapologetic approach to tennis fashion. One that remains unmatched to this day.
The revival of sportswear by Zendaya and Roach was enough to stir up current trends. According to the fashion analysis account @databutmakeitfashion, tennis outfits have increased 80% in popularity in March. From Ralph Lauren 2021 US Open Collection to Miu Miu Fall 2022, tennis fashion is surely paving its way to the top.
While tennis apparel has begun to find its place in the luxury fashion industry over the last few years, athletic wear remains purely focused on comfort and exercise. Since these are designed for a customer base oriented toward physical activity, these aspects are naturally included. But why does the abundance of comfort sometimes come at the expense of elegance?
It seems this has less to do with sports and more to do with matters of classism. In a world dominated by money, it has become increasingly harder to have access to some physical activities that require instruction. And just like those sports, following trends meticulously too.
The fashion industry is already known for its extreme exclusivity, although some changes. But what happens when it joins forces with another system known for the exact type of exclusion?
It's no coincidence that tennis and ballet are two of the most famous sports on the fashion scene right now. While it could be said that it's all down to the pleated tennis skirts and the ballerina flats, reflections don't stop appearing in one's mind. Beyond the uncontested allure of their outfits, access to these sports is a challenge for many. But this does not seem to diminish their popularity, rather increase it. Its appeal is linked to broader issues. For many decades, ballet and tennis were considered exercises directed to only wealthy, white, and thin practitioners. As a result, both of these activities diverge from the overall position of sportswear, which have undoubtedly played a part in shaping their current reputation.
Not associated with the elite, general sportswear is not considered chic. And women who choose to wear tracksuits, sweatshirts,team shirts, and leggings face further obstacles. In a society where gender roles are deeply stereotyped, the perception of sportswear as a symbol of masculinity is common.
Consequently, when a woman is seen wearing sportswear, she is often perceived as clumsy, unstylish, and unfeminine. Although sport elements have begun to emerge mainly in streetwear, their status continues to be associated with unfavorable attributes.
In the tennis scene, Zendaya and Law Roach are challenging the perception of tennis as an exclusive sport. By referencing iconic female Black players and featuring looks with nods to the activity — be it a ball or a silhouette —, the pair is breaking barriers in both fashion and tennis. Could their efforts lead to a shift in the image of general sportswear as well? Vogue has the answer.
At British Vogue for the May 2024 issue, Zendaya was photographed by Carlijn Jacobs wearing an Adidas Originals by Wales Bonner purple tracksuit top with pink stripes and pink plaid shorts, Wales Bonner silver velcro trainers,and jewelry by Bulgari. As Chioma Nnadi, British Vogue fashion writer, shares “…here you see her in a sport luxe look, something that her character Tashi Duncan in Challengers might wear.” Zendaya was styled by Roach, and on another look she appears in a denim shirt tied at her waist and orange shorts by Polo Ralph Lauren, white socks by Falke, black loafers by Maison Valentino Garavani and jewelry by Bulgari.
At his Instagram, amidst the wave of press tours and events’ looks, the star’s long term stylist Law Roach writes "Tennis but make it FASHION.” Well, Law, we guess you two just did it — and even more than just tennis.