In 2026, film fashion exploded out from the silver screen and decorated premiere red-carpets worldwide in a phenomenon known as method-dressing. From Lili Reinhart’s love letter to rom coms on her The Love Hypothesis press tour, to Zendaya’s ode to the gods during her promotion of The Odyssey, this embrace of fashion-based storytelling has transformed press-tours into experiences of beauty, artistry, and homage, and transported viewers into mystical lands, and times long forgotten.
Lili Reinhart pays homage to an array of classical romantic movies, and their leading ladies, in her 2026 promotion of The Love Hypothesis, a romantic comedy set for release on Prime Video on 23rd September. From Jawbreaker, to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, to Atonement, and Ever After: A Cinderella Story, Reinhart is using fashion to transform herself into ghosts of movies past, in doing so transporting her viewers to old, beloved romantic scenes. Reinhart and her stylist, Ib Abdel Nassar, started off strong on 6th September by referencing a hugely adored (and a personal favourite) rom-com, How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. The actress delighted Instagram fans by posting a photo of herself in a backless butter-yellow dress, honouring the Carolina Herrera gown worn by Kate Hudson in the 2003 romantic comedy. The silky pastel gown mimicked the shape and style of Hudson’s dress, with the eye-catching open-back stealing the spotlight, just as in the movie. Nassar has spoken about her intentions for the press tour, aspiring to create a nostalgic pastiche of the ‘Golden Age’ of romantic movies, and honouring previous leading ladies through these outfits. However, the intrigue of Reinhart’s method-dressing derives not just from the outfits themselves, but from the feeling they create. In this How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Instagram post, Reinhart poses just as Hudson did 23 years ago, glancing over her shoulder on an ornate staircase, and accompanies the picture with a snippet from Carly Simon’s 2015 remaster of ‘You’re So Vain’, a song that frequently appears in the movie. Hence, fans feel at once transported back to 2003, watching these two characters fall in love for the first time amidst butter-yellow dresses, basketball games, and iconic karaoke sequences.
… transported viewers into mystical lands, and times long forgotten
Reinhart has also paid homage to the 1999 classic, Jawbreaker, with a pastel, preppy look from Leo Lin’s 2027 Resort Collection, which Nassar named ‘Olive’s soft launch’. The baby pink embellished cardigan worked in perfect harmony with the simple, white crop top, and the blush pink floral skirt. Atonement was another film the actress chose to honour, replicating the classic green dress with a billowing green Tory Burch gown. The actress’ dress mimicked the plunging V-neck of the original dress and the subtle tied detailing, however the particular green shade was changed, with Reinhart adorning an olive hue, a subtle nod to her new character, Olive Smith, as opposed to Knightley’s original emerald. My favourite of her looks so far, however, must be her dreamy, detailed, ethereal look, honouring Ever After: A Cinderella Story. This outfit was custom made by Rodarte and inspired by Drew Barrymore’s finale look from the film. Again, Nassar focuses more upon the feeling this look creates than the accuracy with which it mimics the original. This dress draws inspiration from the off-the-shoulder neckline and romantic detailing of Barrymore’s look, yet takes creative liberties, such as creating translucent, iridescent sleeves, to create something originally Reinhart’s. This romantic, fairytale feeling is helped by Reinhart’s posing in a lush, grassy field as sunset casts pink and orange rays over the majestic landscape. In this picture of romance, an emulation of fairytale endings, Reinhart certainly appears as an ethereal princess, the perfect leading lady amidst this renaissance of romantic comedies.
But how can one talk about method dressing without, of course, mentioning Zendaya, a luminary in movie-themed fashion. Often dressing in homage to her new film, Zendaya told the BBC One Show in 2024 that “Fashion is something I’ve always used as an outlet, a tool – ultimately, I think I am a more shy person so it allows me to create this persona, this character that I get to live in for the day”. Zendaya’s cinematic looks indeed transport the actress into the world of her movie and bring fantasy onto the red-carpet, setting the tone for the wonder that awaits her audience. In her July 2026 promotion of The Odyssey, the actress and her stylist, Law Roach, drew inspiration from the Greek gods themselves to create a series of looks fit for a goddess. Zendaya’s outfits were tied together with motifs of drapery, referencing Greek fashion of the period, body castings, alluding to classical marble statues, and centuries-old jewellery, such as the 1st-millenium BC ancient gold discs she wore as earrings with her white Jacquemus dress on 5th July. This bold jewellery choice sparked some outlash, with archaeologists arguing that such precious artifacts shouldn’t be used to promote a Hollywood film, especially when the actors know so little about their historical significance. Despite this controversy, the intent behind the jewellery was to pay homage to human history and entice viewers into the ancient world. On 6th July, for the London world premiere, Zendaya wore Daniel Roseberry’s closing look from his Schiaparelli Fall 2026 Couture Collection, a moulded white bodice over a dazzling white skirt. The sculptural bodice illuminated the feminine body and transformed the actress into a marble statue of the period. Similarly, for the New York City premiere on 14th July, Zendaya paid homage to the goddess Athena herself, the character she plays in the movie, wearing a plunging white gown with a high slit, accompanied by a sculptural pair of white feathered wings. The moulded texture on the dress mirrored the carefully constructed marble statues of the period, whilst the grandeur of the train elevated the look to be worthy of a goddess. Through these looks Zendaya and Roach expanded the reach of the movie world, creating a microcosm of Ancient Greece on the red-carpet in a way that transported fans into the film before they had even seen it.
How can one talk about method dressing without, of course, mentioning Zendaya?
In another of her five 2026 press-tours (yes five!), in which Zendaya promoted Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the actress again used her outfits to establish the world of the arachnid on the red-carpet, wearing dresses with web motifs, or adorning the bright primary colours to honour the original comics. However, one of her most iconic looks from this press-tour was by far her simplest. On June 24th, as Zendaya promoted her new film in Paris, the actress wore a $35 vintage spiderman T-shirt that her stylist had found on eBay. She wore this black oversized T-shirt, with a red spiderman design on the front, as a dress, paired with white Louboutin pumps, dangling silver earrings, and a Rolex watch. ‘Style doesn’t always have to cost a fortune’, Law Roach posted on an Instagram story, sharing a screenshot of the eBay listing. Whilst wearing a simple, affordable wardrobe staple, Zendaya hardly looked out of place as all eyes were on her and the chic way she had been styled. Whilst this outfit didn’t transform a viewer into the movie world as many method-dressing outfits aspire to do, it did raise serious questions about what is considered stylish, and how accessible style can be. Staying loyal to the Spiderman theme, Roach bridged the gap between glamorous Hollywood actress, and regular citizens seeing her, and showcased that fashion can both pay homage to icons of the past, and look promisingly towards a sustainable future. Both can be beautiful, with the right accessories.
