Having already taken the theatres around the world by storm, Challenger’s stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist were accompanied by director Luca Guadagnino, gracing the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the Met Gala 2024.
Zendaya, actress and co-chair of this year’s Met Gala, stunned attendees with not one but two gorgeous looks from frequent fashion collaborator Law Roach. Embracing the theme of “The Garden of Time,” Zendaya first graced the red carpet in a striking Maison Margiela Artisanal gown with royal-blue and emerald-green stripes and paired it with a net mesh and tulle-feathered fascinator.
Zendayaattends the Met Gala 2024 | Photo Credit: ANDREW KELLY
Later in the evening, the Dune: Part Two star made a second dramatic entrance in a breathtaking black gown from John Galliano’s Givenchy era, featuring a corseted lace-up bodice and a voluminous skirt that nearly eclipsed the iconic Met steps and completed with a bouquet-themed fascinator by Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen.
Zendaya attends the Met Gala 2024 | Photo Credit: Evan Agostini
Accompanying the her were co-stars Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, whose on-screen chemistry in the steamy tennis drama has had the internet in a chokehold. In Challengers, a professional tennis champion Art (Mike Faist) plots a comeback with the help of his wife Tashi (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy who retired after an injury, as he goes up against another player Patrick (Josh O’Connor), who also happens to be his former best friend and wife’s former lover.
The on-screen rivals steeped in sexual tension stepped out in custom Loewe, paying homage to the film’s fashion-forward roots, with the choice of the fashion brand a nod to the film’s creative director, Jonathan Anderson, who has been instrumental in shaping the sartorial identity of Challengers.
Josh O’Connor attends the Met Gala 2024 | Photo Credit: Evan Agostini
O’Connor’s sported an avant-garde tail train suit, adorned with a bow tie brooch from the Loewe x Lynda Benglis collection and a pair of floral shoes, while Faist accessorized with a radish brooch, echoing the vegetable garden prints seen in Loewe’s fall 2024 collection.
Mike Faist attends the Met Gala 2024 | Photo Credit: JAMIE MCCARTHY
Anderson’s collaboration with the actors extends beyond the silver screen, with O’Connor and Faist frequently donning his designs during the film’s press tour. As honorary chair of this year’s Met Gala, Anderson’s influence was felt not only in the attire of the Challengers cast but also in the ensembles of other attendees, including Omar Apollo, Greta Lee, Dan Levy, Jonathan Bailey, Ayo Edebiri, Greta Gerwig and Taylor Russell.
Staying at the iconic Carlyle Hotel, dubbed “The Loewe Boys hotel” for the occasion, Anderson was also later seen leaving the Carlyle Hotel with Luca Guadagnino and Faist in Loewe looks ahead of the Met Gala.
Meanwhile, Guadagnino opened up to Variety about people’s fondness for churros after the iconic scene in Challengers saying, “They should be careful, because it’s not very good food. ...I think [Josh O’Connor] ate two kilos of them in one day.”
Luca Guadagnino attends the Met Gala 2024 | Photo Credit: JAMIE MCCARTHY
Challengers has quickly become Guadagnino’s highest-grossing film domestically, surpassing Call Me By Your Name in just five days. While fans may hope for a sequel to the film, Guadagnino remains skeptical, emphasizing the uniqueness of the original film.
