The biggest runways in 2024 weren’t catwalks at all, but rather press tour red carpets. And the trend du jour? Method dressing. The celeb-beloved wardrobe technique utilizes fashion to promote a movie or show by channeling its themes and/or characters. It drums up major publicity, especially when the looks involve Easter eggs.
Zendaya — with the help of her stylist, Law Roach — practically pioneered the practice with her Spider-Man trilogy-inspired style. Then, in 2023, Margot Robbie notably employed it during the Barbie circuit, where she re-created costumes of archival dolls. But no year was more method than 2024, where all of Hollywood seemingly graduated from the Zendaya School of Method Dressing.
Of course, the Euphoria actor worked her fave red carpet trend on both her Challengers and Dune: Part Two press tours, rocking tenniscore numbers and sci-fi-themed ensembles, respectively. Jenna Ortega also had a fun Beetlejuice Beetlejuice run, where she subtly sprinkled Easter eggs from the OG movie into her ’fits.
No film, however, did better on the method-dressing front than Wicked. Each main cast member, including Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Jonathan Bailey, harkened to their characters and paid homage to Oz lore. Below, you’ll see all their buzziest MD moments, along with other stylish celebs who blew up 2024 with their themed takes.
Blake Lively, It Ends With Us
Since Lively played florist Lily Blossom Bloom in the film, she ran with the character’s affinity for flora in looks that were maximalist botanic extravaganzas that left everyone talking. One look took a cue from the actor’s Gossip Girl frenemy Blair Waldorf with colored tights (with plenty of flowers, obviously); another was a Britney Spears homage. No matter where she went, she made a bold statement.
Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux
Little monsters know that Lady Gaga Stefani Germanotta goes extreme with method acting (shoutout to A Star Is Born), so it’s no surprise that she treats method dressing the same way. While promoting Joker: Folie à Deux, the “Poker Face” singer went full clowncore, rocking kooky jester-inspired makeup, ruffle collars, and harlequin patterns (a nod to her character Harley Quinn). Even her most elegant slay at the Venice Film Festival matched the film’s dramatic tone with a theatrical headpiece.
Sydney Sweeney, Immaculate
As tough as it may sound to method dress like a virgin nun who gets miraculously knocked up with the spawn of satan, Sweeney injected the press tour for her horror film Immaculate with as much style magic as she possibly could. With a color palette of blacks and whites, some of her ‘fits struck the perfect balance of fittingly eerie and avant-garde.
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Twisters
While promoting Twisters, Edgar-Jones kept many of her ‘fits easy breezy and low-key. Some of them, however, were airy, frilly, and utterly billowy — kind of like the tornado she was avoiding on screen. In the months that followed, DEJ kept the lightweight press tour looks coming, wearing a sheer, flowy dress to the Toronto Film Festival to promote her next movie, On Swift Horses.
Dakota Johnson, Madame Web
For the Madame Web circuit, Johnson embraced her Marvel arachnid-influenced character without sacrificing her affinity for the naked dress. How? By rocking an extremely see-through plunging gown with a web-like bedazzled detail.
Nicola Coughlan, Bridgerton
The only con of Coughlan’s Bridgerton press tour? It wasn’t long enough. There were a few outings, however, in which she channeled her gossip columnist alter ego, Penelope Featherington. One look, in particular, left fans fed. Coughlan channeled Penelope’s wedding look with a blush pink number and a long veil.
Jonathan Bailey, Wicked
Warning: Wicked spoiler ahead. Bailey’s Fiyero may end up as the scarecrow in the sequel, but the actor’s recent press tour looks channeled nearly all of Oz’s characters and settings. One look, for example, included a shimmery silver top (à la the Tin Man), ruby slippers (like Dorothy’s), and a pink poppy (for Elphaba’s flower of choice). Another took a cue from the famed yellow brick road.
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Like Bailey, Grande paid homage to multiple Oz characters including Dorothy (in ginghams) and Glinda (in pinks). No moment, however, was as viral as the dress she wore to Oz (Australia). She donned an iteration of the OG film Glinda’s bubble dress — puffy shoulders and all. It was arguably the most pop-u-lar.
Florence Pugh, Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two collected Hollywood’s most fashionable like it did spice. One of them was Florence Pugh. Among her many stylish ensembles, the standout was a shimmery brown dress with a hood that dipped into a cowl-style plunge. It mimicked the hooded costumes in the film, but with a yassified twist.
Jenna Ortega, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Ortega’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice looks were a masterclass in subtle homages. Instead of veering costume-y, her looks were wearable and contemporary. But they also included Easter eggs alluding to the 1988 classic. Think: a bag in the likeness of the book and Beetlejuice-inspired stripes. She even re-created both Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz’s wedding looks.
Zendaya, Challengers
Tenniscore is more than just pleated skirts and athleisure — just ask Zendaya, who practically redefined the aesthetic for the Challengers promo run. With her stylist Roach’s vision, she wore tennis-inspired looks including pumps with heels made from tennis balls, dresses that were reminiscent of field nets, and pleated gowns covered in crystal-encrusted racket patterns.
Zendaya, Dune: Part Two
The most viral Zendaya stunner of the year was for the Dune sequel. The actor and her stylist pulled a massive coup when she strutted onto the London leg of the press tour in a C-3PO-esque robosuit that featured boob and butt cutouts. While the piece’s design was futuristic, it was archival — from Thierry Mugler’s Fall 1995 collection, to be exact. It was one of the best fashion moments of 2024.
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Erivo delivered a promo run for the ages. Her Wicked press tour was practically a runway of Elphaba-inspired creations. Styled by Jason Bolden, she’s channeled witchcore in goth black looks, flaunted Elphie’s verdigris in the chicest green ensembles, and fittingly, rocked a series of hats that evoked Elphaba’s signature accessory. Nobody in all of Oz is ever gonna cramp her style.
