Challengers: The Tennis Core of L. Guadagnino and J. Anderson
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After a heart-wrenching summer romance with Call Me By Your Name, and a coming-of-age story set against a backdrop of cannibalism with Bones and All, Luca Guadagnino returns this time with a fiery love triangle set on the tennis courts. Released in theaters on Wednesday, Challengers captivates with its frantic pace, its electro soundtrack, and its revenge-fueled spirit complemented by a perfectly mastered tennis core. However, here, beyond creating a simple aesthetic echoing Wimbledon, the costumes designed by Jonathan Anderson are an integral part of the narrative, reflecting the turmoil experienced by this passionate trio. An analysis of this successful first collaboration between the Italian director and the artistic director of Loewe. (note: plot revealed.)
- 1. What role does haute couture play in Luca Guadagnino’s films?
- 2. How did Jonathan Anderson conceptualize the costumes for Challengers?
What role does haute couture play in Luca Guadagnino’s films?
Offering a unique and captivating perspective on human relationships, Luca Guadagnino’s films stand out for their aesthetic and unique identity. Experimenting with different genres and renewing his approach to directing, his staging is carried by meticulous framing and cinematography, conveying emotions ranging from nostalgia to horror.
Luca Guadagnino’s filmography highlights a strong connection to the world of fashion. On the documentary side, the Italian director focused on the success story of Salvatore Ferragamo in 2020 with Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams. He has also been seen in advertising formats, with the short film Destinée, created for Cartier in 2022. The Fendi house also entrusted him with the direction of The First Sun for its spring-summer 2006 collection, as well as Fendi Peekaboo Campaign in 2022.
In 2019, the director of Challengers worked alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli (then artistic director of Valentino) on the fashion short film The Staggering Girl, which unveiled the autumn-winter 2018/2019 collection.
When haute couture is not the main subject, it integrates into the director’s universe through the costumes in his films. Similar to Virginie Viard’s work for the costumes of the Barbie film, Luca Guadagnino entrusted the design of his characters’ outfits to various renowned stylists and costume designers. Notably, we can mention the work of Antonella Cannarozzi on I am Love (2009), or his long-standing collaboration with Giulia Piersanti on A Bigger Splash (2015), Call Me By Your Name (2017), Suspiria (2019), and Bones and All (2022).
Challengers thus marks the beginning of a new creative exchange, alongside his friend and artistic director of Loewe, Jonathan Anderson.
How did Jonathan Anderson conceptualize the costumes for Challengers?
The creation of the costumes for the film Challengers was guided by two shared desires of the director and the costume designer. Namely, to create costumes that are rooted in reality. And, to design the outfits based on the characters so that they reflect their personality, their state of mind, and where they are in their lives.
As L. Guadagnino pointed out in an interview, costumes are the expression of a character and their tastes, not those of the director. They enrich the story by conveying key information about an individual to the audience without the use of words. Thus, beyond an aesthetic aspect, the tennis core of the film Challengers was conceived to serve and enrich the narrative at multiple levels.
In addition to enabling the characterization of the characters and their evolution, both individually and within the love triangle, the costumes also highlight themes. Notably, we can mention those of mourning a shattered career, the quest for power and the need for control, the pursuit of success, the conformity that results from success, as well as the importance of appearance and brands in the world of sports and in American society.
How does the tennis core of Challengers define the characters and their personal evolution?
With a film set over more than 13 years, the evolution of the costumes worn by the characters in Challengers emphasizes the transitions they encounter. Both from a personal, professional/sporting, and psychological point of view.
Tashi Duncan: Clothing as a Sign of Power and Control
Transitioning from a young tennis prodigy to a woman mourning her shattered sports career, Tashi’s wardrobe emphasizes a natural need for control that intensifies following her accident. The young woman embodies the idea of power and control. The evolution of her wardrobe illustrates her professional and financial success, as well as her place in this privileged and competitive environment as a woman and mother. Her perfect tennis uniform and university outfits gradually give way to pieces rooted in the DNA of Quiet Luxury, with perfect cuts that elevate her presence.
Art Donaldson: The Success of an Athlete Becoming a Brand Product
The outfits worn by Art depict the rise of an athlete, who with success, loses their uniqueness to conform to the norm. His pieces, initially mismatched at the beginning of the film, are now replaced by impeccable outfits. Jonathan Anderson highlights here the importance and the role of brands in this discipline. He notably underscores this conformity with pieces from the collaboration between his brand JW Anderson and Uniqlo x Roger Federer. Art is entirely shaped by Tashi’s influence and becomes “the brand image” he was destined to become before his accident.
Patrick Zweig: An Awkward Yet Charming Mix and Match
While Tashi and Art present a very marked evolution in their outfits, Patrick remains with a more or less mismatched wardrobe. The Loewe AD drew inspiration from John F. Kennedy Jr. to create a wardrobe worn in a somewhat haphazard manner, giving a charming aspect to the character. He sports basic t-shirts, polos, patterned shorts, and sleeveless tops. His outfits allow for a contrast with the couple and emphasize his financial instability, as well as his underdeveloped career.
How do the costumes highlight the evolution of this love triangle?
Although the characters form a trio, it always consists of a duo and an individual apart. This structure, which evolves over the years and dramatic knots, is supported by a particularly intelligent use of costumes. Jonathan Anderson has utilized pieces that visually add subtext to the action and reinforce the narrative framework. We can mention, among other things:
- Gray and red outfits: used to visually associate Art and Tashi and signal their impending closeness. Notably during the lies told by Art and during the accident that occurs after the breakup between Tashi and Patrick.
- Tashi’s short dress during the restaurant scene with Art: emphasizes the beginning of their closeness and echoes the nightgowns she later wears in their relationship.
- The “I Told Ya” t-shirt: links Tashi and Patrick, worn at key moments (Art’s lies, argument between Tashi and Patrick, accident, their closeness at the hotel bar while Tashi is engaged to Art).
- Patrick’s slightly more polished outfit when he asks Tashi to be his coach: hints at a potential closeness and the idea of visually conforming to success.
- The white t-shirt worn by Tashi against her satin nightgown to join Patrick in the car: engages a flashback and marks the decline of her relationship with Art and the world tied to it.
As Tashi repeats, real tennis is played like a relationship. Although Challengers highlights three characters, it is the relationship between Art and Patrick that serves as the central pillar. The evolution of their costumes thus perfectly underscores the evolution of their friendship. At the beginning, we discover a duo of friends dressed similarly, visibly sharing their clothes.
Then, this unity narratively and visually breaks, notably with the evolution of Art’s costumes. Nonetheless, the film’s conclusion, which corresponds roughly to the 7th act of the trio’s transformation, brings us back to this opening duo. We witness a high-stakes match, on neutral ground and far from the major tournaments, which can be interpreted as a flashback. Although each has visually evolved, they are again reunited as a duo on the court, dressed in sportswear, facing Tashi, who sits in the stands in a blue dress and Chanel espadrilles.
After an intense match, the match point seems to revive a potential friendship between the two men, who have finally played “real tennis”.
Luca Guadagnino and Jonathan Anderson skillfully combine their creativity to intensely reveal this passionate love triangle. While waiting for their next collaboration on Queer, discover a selection of pieces to dress like Tashi Duncan.
Photos: Pinterest