Zendaya wears bejewelled dress emblazoned with Challengers movie poster

The dazzling mini-dress is custom Celia Kritharioti

Zendaya’s premiere fashion always impeccably embodies the thematic elements of her films, but one recent look went beyond that, wrapping her in a bedazzled poster board for her new movie, Challengers.

Though the red-carpet run for Challengers ended last week, the Euphoria star is still sporting style cues from the action-packed tennis film. On 26 April – release day – the 27-year-old was pictured in a custom long-sleeve mini-dress emblazoned with the film’s poster photo.

Law Roach, Zendaya’s stylist and long-time collaborator, took to their Instagram to share a still of the actress in a holographic-like original by Celia Kritharioti.

“@challengersmovie but make it FASHION…..Tashi Made Her Wear It. Thank you @celiakritharioti for bringing the Challengers Movie Poster to life,” Roach’s caption read.

The former Disney Channel star stuck a pose in the dress that featured her face blown up in shimmery details. The picture was the same close-up of her with pink shades and a red lip seen on the cover of the movie ad. In the reflection of her glasses was a faint, faraway shot of her two costars on the tennis court. Along the bottom hem of the dress was the credit line, complete with the film title and creators. Zendaya’s look was topped with a sparkly pair of white pumps.

This Celia Kritharioti design was served after a platter of standout premiere looks was put together by the Dune lead and Roach for Sydney, Paris, Rome, London, Monte-Carlo, Milan, Los Angeles, and New York. From a Thome Browne racquet halter dress to an elegant pink and black lace gown by Vera Wang, Zendaya donned unforgettable pieces with nods to different aspects of her role, cementing her legendary style status further.

Of the most notable creations was a black and white striped gown that paid tribute to tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams. Wes Gordon, the creative director for Carolina Herrera, fashioned a look reminiscent of the one seen on the sisters in their 1998 Vogue photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz. Like the legendary athletes, Zendaya wore a square neck ballgown with white beads strewn in her shoulder-length hair.

The ballooned bottom of the dress cascaded off the edge of a beige couch and fell onto the floor as Zendaya sat positioned sideways like the Williams twins.

“An ode to the GREATS @venuswilliams @serenawilliams We thank you for all you have done! With Love, Z and Law,” Roach wrote alongside photos in an 18 April Instagram post.

Venus Williams responded: “Wow. No words! So much love for you.”

Fans praised the brilliance of the dress and set recreation in the comments.

“Welp..I just can’t tell you when fashion and proper styling ever made me cry... so at 49, I’m happy to see this,” an enamored individual said. Another added: “Wooowww what a dream.”