After legendary promotional tours for Dune, Challengers, The Drama, and The Odyssey, it was hard to imagine how Zendaya could top herself at her next premiere. The Euphoria star swung from ancient Greece and straight into the Marvel universe for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and that hard work has paid off, as that movie has made a jaw-dropping $1.67 billion globally, as of this writing. Can we credit some of those ticket sales to her spider-themed red carpet looks, expertly assembled by image architect Law Roach? How can we not?
The duo’s secret can be summed up in two words: method dressing, that is, the narrative art of tailoring one’s appearances to the project or role at hand. Zendaya and Roach are widely credited with popularizing this approach, leveraging the well-established power of clothing as a tool for communication. When it comes to method dressing, the 29-year-old newlywed—a fashion icon perched on her high heels—makes masterful use of that tool.
For the promotional tour for Spider-Man’s latest adventure, Roach juggled archives from major fashion houses, brand-new collections, and vintage treasures: at one point Zendaya, even braved the Paris heatwave in a t-shirt worn as a dress bought for $35 on eBay. A tarantula scurrying across a shoe or adorning a pair of earrings, an assembly of chains or embroidery reminiscent of a spider’s web… references to the arachnid world and the film’s binary color scheme were sometimes subtle, sometimes overt.
Not only did Zendaya’s fits align with the film’s universe, but she was also perfectly coordinated with her husband, Tom Holland. (Though perhaps Holland’s suit choices came second, all picked to match his wife’s looks?) Holland even played along by pinning a spider brooch to his tie in London. From Madrid to Mexico City, and New York to Shanghai, the couple made perfectly linked appearances, treating their fans to a rare treat—especially since they’re usually careful to shield their romance from media attention.
Zendaya, who plays MJ on screen, and Tom Holland, who plays Peter Parker, have shared the spotlight in the Marvel saga since 2017. After Spider-Man: Homecoming, the duo—whose real-life love story followed the one on screen—returned in Far From Home (2019), No Way Home (2021), and finally, Brand New Day, which was released on July 31 in the US. The film had the best opening in US box office history, raking in $360 million its first weekend. Spider-Man has even crushed his fellow Avengers, beating 2019’s Endgame as Marvel’s top ticket seller.
While Spider-Man’s enduring appeal as an everyman sort of hero is certainly a big component of the franchise’s success, the stars’ red carpet glamour certainly didn’t hurt. If you still doubt this theory, the images below are sure to change your mind
