From ‘Dune’ to ‘Barbie’: The Wonders of Method Dressing

If you have ever given your social media algorithms even the slightest hint of interest in clothing, you have probably seen Zendaya’s stunning “robot suit.” The archival pull from Mugler’s fall/winter 1995 couture collection served cyborg chic as the famous actress strutted her stuff at the “Dune: Part Two” world premiere. Her look quickly went viral. Commentators raved over not only its beauty, but also its creative fittingness. What better way to ring in a movie set in the distant year of 10,191?

Celebrities and stylists alike are increasingly asking themselves some version of that question. Throughout the “Dune” press tour, Zendaya and her stylist, Law Roach, made full use of this radical marketing technique, which one Vogue author dubbed “method dressing.” Method dressing can be loosely defined as a person’s outfit aligning with the content or spirit of the project in which they are involved. In the context of Hollywood, it can transfer the magic of the silver screen to the red carpet and beyond.

Scattered examples of this practice date back to the 1990s. Geena Davis was one of the earliest celebrities to use it when she wore a white dress with baseball-inspired stitching to the premiere of “A League of Their Own.” More recently, Roach revived the technique by putting Zendaya in a designer facsimile of the protagonist’s look in “The Greatest Showman” during that film’s 2017 press tour. Her current status as a fashion icon — as well as the uptick in method dressing as a whole — can largely be attributed to Roach continuing this practice.

In an age when everyone from the average Twitter user to Sofia Coppola is complaining about the uniformity of red carpet looks, one could convincingly argue that this is a good thing — and executives would agree. Halle Bailey, for example, wore several sirenic ensembles in the months leading up to the release of “The Little Mermaid.” Her impact reverbated in online spaces: By just one metric, Pinterest searches for “mermaidcore” soared by 614% after the film’s release.

In other cases, entire casts successfully method dressed. One of the best examples was the premiere of 2022’s “The Batman.” Zoë Kravitz, who played Catwoman, wore an all-black Oscar de la Renta dress with cat cutouts on the bustline. Robert Pattinson, who played Batman himself, was more subtle but still on theme. His all-black suit and overcoat were fitting for the moody Bruce Wayne.

Even the guests of “The Batman” premiere dressed in accordance with the general mood. Instagram darling Julia Fox donned a dress with Catwoman on the front, but she added her own edgy touch by wearing a leather bodysuit underneath. Fox is a high-profile example of the wealth of excitement and profitability that lies in audience method dressing.

This potential panned out in real time with the “Barbie” movie press tour, where Margot Robbie spent a full year in doll-like designer looks that resembled her eponymous character. Her outfits supplemented and, in many ways, heightened the effect of the ubiquitous “Barbie” marketing. Barbie was present in everything from hairstyles to hotel rooms. That, and Robbie’s viral looks, also produced a mania for method dressing among normal theater goers during their first viewing of the film.

There are various potential causes of this method dressing craze. Some argue it provided a brief moment of communal bliss for marginalized groups like women and queer people. Dressing up for the “Barbie” movie wasn’t just a styling choice: It was an event. Robbie’s viral press tour inspired these groups, who have traditionally empowered themselves through clothing, to don costume-like outfits for a common cause. In other words, method dressing was an excuse for key social gatherings.

Even for people in non-marginalized groups, method dressing can yield great psychological rewards. The flamboyant fashion seen on starlets and fans alike falls under the category of “dopamine dressing” — a somewhat nebulous fashion term that has arisen in recent years. It broadly refers to any instance in which one wears something that brings them confidence or joy. Though the catalysts of these emotions vary from person to person, vibrant colors and flamboyant details — both method dressing staples — are generally considered to be good bets for happy chemical production. Ergo, method dressing’s popularity can be attributed to the simple fact that people like to feel good about themselves.

Regardless of the root of the method dressing boom, Robbie’s styling seems to have produced massive, long-lasting effects. As of the writing of this article, “#barbiecore” has more than 640,000 posts on Instagram alone. Those are powerful numbers even the most hard-hearted producer would feel compelled to recreate.

For many theater goers, the collective yet intangible wonder of method dressing was even more powerful. Hopefully actors will take notice and invite us to share in that enthusiasm in the future.

—Staff writer Giselle P. Acosta can be reached at giselle.acosta@thecrimson.com.