Relying solely on a film’s poster, songs and a short trailer to set box office records is becoming a risky proposition. And let’s be honest, star power often, if not always, overshadows the actual film during promotional press tours. This is where method dressing comes in, a fun and frilly, yet focused way of ensuring that the conversation around your favourite stars is in sync with their film that’s about to release. Shraddha Kapoor and Blake Lively, of course, along with many others, are leading the charge in what is emerging as a celebrity trend.
Shraddha Kapoor for Stree 2
Shraddha Kapoor is constantly wearing red clothes. The reason? Her upcoming film will release on Independence Day Street # 2To refresh your mind, most of Shraddha’s costumes Street (2018) was red and maroon, with a plot-specific ponytail and kohl-rimmed eyes. This seems to be the perfect brief for her promotional rounds for the sequel.
Red and gold, gold and red, Shraddha just keeps oscillating between these colours for her everyday look, but when it comes to the silhouette, she switches things up. For a recent outing, she ditched the suit and saree and wore a ribbed co-ord set – it’s hard to guess what colour it was.
Blake Lively – It Ends With Us
it ends with us is set to be released later this month on August 9. Blake Lively plays Lily Bloom, a florist, in the book adaptation. When it comes to decoding her maximalist press tour wardrobe, it doesn’t take much to put two and two together.
Motif flowers, printed flowers, embroidered flowers, grunge flowers, flowers in her hair, flowers in her shoes – Blake has dedicated herself to fully embodying Lily Bloom as she approaches the release date.
Whether it’s a vintage John Galliano skirt suit, a yet-to-be-released Christopher John Rogers resort look, a Dauphinette and Oscar de la Renta mini dress or a transparent pair of Valentino denim with floral cutouts, the list of statement looks is endless. In fact, the sheer variety of her press tour looks makes for a masterclass in repeating a theme, in this case a single one, without exaggeration.
Jhanvi Kapoor for Mr and Mrs Mahi
Promotion of Janhvi Kapoor’s film continues Mr. and Mrs. Mahi It started with a simple saree that caught everyone’s attention as her sequined racerback blouse had ‘6 Mahi’ written on it. As the days went by, Janhvi’s commitment to method dressing became even more evident. Some of the samples include a batsman motif embroidered on her silver bodycon, a stadium motif painted on her powder purple silk saree, and cricket balls on the border for another saree look.
In each of these attempts a balance was struck between making a point and appearing one-sided.
Margot Robbie for Barbie
No one worked as hard on method dressing as Margot Robbie did for the 2023 blockbuster Barbie’s Global press tour. Actual vintage Barbie dolls and their outfits inspired most of Margot’s looks as she traveled around the world promoting her film.
Even when the outfit wasn’t directly inspired by any version of the doll, it still somehow managed to look like Barbie. Bottega Veneta, Versace, Moschino, Carolina Herrera, Vivienne Westwood, Schiaparelli, Chanel — the list of past looks created by Margot and stylist Andrew Mukamal is forever etched in her book. Barbie: The World Tour.
Special Mention: Zendaya for the Olympics
Method dressing is no longer just for the movies. Thanks to Zendaya and Law Roach for making that clear. Late last month, Zendaya made an appearance in Paris, which was then in time for the soon-to-be Olympic Games 2024. The two reminisced about 2008, opting for a Jean-Charles de Castelbajac romper from that year’s ‘Sportacus’ spring/summer collection.
The white halter-necked romper featured 5 Olympic rings around Zendaya’s legs, neck, and pockets. It may not be the prettiest thing on the market, but it does its job – keeps the discussion about Zendaya Olympic-coded.
Do you think method dressing is here to stay?
