Bringing Life to the Desert
Method-dressing: a marketing technique in which artists dress in spirit, reference, or reflection of the piece of art they are promoting. In the past decade, this concept has become increasingly popular, but the Dune: Part Two cast has taken their dedication to this technique to another level. With a star-studded cast full of Hollywood’s youngest talents, there has never been a press tour for a film that has consisted of so many jaw-dropping, memorable method-dressing moments from the entire cast. Timothee Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Anya-Taylor Joy, and the one and only Zendaya have proven that the next generation of Hollywood and fashion go hand-in-hand.
Timothee Chalamet, the leading man in the Dune series, experimented with textures and textiles while promoting the film. He displayed plenty of leather as he began the press tour in a vintage Helmut Lang leather vest. He then ventured into suits and leather shirts by Prada, but his more unique looks came from Bottega Venetta. In Paris, Chalamet wore brown leather pants that were embossed like the skin of a lizard. In London, he donned a white, scalloped, knitted top that resembled lizard skin, as well. Both of these Bottega Venetta looks appear as a reference to the giant “worms” Chalamet’s character, Paul, must learn to ride in the film. Paul spends the course of the second installment of the series proving himself among the Fremen (the desert natives), and riding one of their native sandworms is one of his major quests.
Florence Pugh, who plays the Emperor’s daughter, Princess Irulan, dressed in a series of column dresses on the red carpet, which resemble the same silhouette her character appeared in throughout the entirety of the movie. The silhouette could be seen as a reflection of her character’s stable mind and the clarity that she brought to her father and her house. At the Mexico premiere, Pugh wore a long white dress rouched in the back, and at the London premiere, a bronze Valentino column dress complete with a draped hood.
Austin Butler, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the movie, opted for minimal, black and white suits with dramatic shoulders. Butler sported a pin-striped all-black Yves Saint Laurent suit with wide shoulders at the Mexico premiere. In London, he wore a similarly structured suit by Gucci but was gray and white with a coat that dragged along the floor. At first glance, Butler’s outfits come across as basic without much thought put into it, but in context to the film, his suits capture the essence of the character. Butler plays a psychotic, sword-wielding, power-hungry young man who resides on a planet with a black sun, thus giving a noir effect on this planet. With this in mind, Butler’s sharp suits are a modern interpretation of the embodiment of this lifestyle. It proves that method dressing does not have to be over-the-top for it to be done right.
Anya Taylor-Joy, a surprise addition to the cast, dressed in a gentle yet ethereal way for this press tour. Taylor-Joy’s character was not announced until after the film was first premiered, so even though he joined the cast at the tail-end of the tour, that did not stop her from making the most of the experience. Her character is the unborn fetus of Paul’s little sister; she only appears as a voice-over from inside her mother’s womb and in a dream Paul has of her far into the future. This mysterious yet innocent quality of her character led her to dress in flowy fabrics for the red carpets. To the London premiere, she flourished a custom Christian Dior full-length white gown with a sheer white headpiece over top. Only her head and hands were visible, which added to the mysterious aspect of her character. In New York City, Taylor-Joy attended the premiere in a black corseted Maison Margiela look with a sheer hoop skirt over top. The extravagance of her looks, paired with the delicate fabrics, created an alluring aura around her and her character’s future.
Zendaya, the crown jewel of red carpets, truly outdid herself this go-around. Playing Chani, a member of the Fremen and native to the harsh desert planet Arrakis, Zendaya’s role is a major ally to Paul and a catalyst for a lot of the plot. She kept her color palette neutral in a nod to her character’s aesthetic, but her impact on the carpet was nothing short of bold. She wore a dark brown two-piece Bottega Venetta set in Mexico, as well as a multi-color, multi-fabric draped two-piece set by Torishéju. Both looks drew visible inspiration from her layered-up costume in the movie, as she is a native of the desert planet and must wear clothes fit to survive the harsh conditions. The most talked about look of the entire Dune: Part Two press tour saga was the vintage Thierry Mugler robot-inspired look she displayed in London. Straight out of the archives, the couture piece fit like a glove and was the highlight of the press tour. Zendaya’s method-dressing is the blueprint for red carpets, and the effort she and her stylist, Law Roach, put into each look is the definition of hard work.
Method dressing is a genius marketing technique because it promotes the upcoming project in a non-traditional yet memorable way. The artist is not outright telling the world what to expect from the project, but rather shows them a glimpse into the aesthetic the project lives within. The next generation of Hollywood stars continue to push boundaries both on and off the screen, and they’re genius promotion techniques are proof of such. The young actors’ dedication to fashion demonstrates their acute attention to detail and raw understanding of their movies, so much so that they can bring the movie to life off the desert set and onto the shimmering red carpet.
Written by Parker Elkins, Design: Aranza Carreno, Social Media: Kate Puckett