Cover Fashion has always looked backward to move forward, but today’s stars are turning homage dressing into a full-blown narrative strategy. From Zendaya’s sleek nod to 2002-era Halle Berry to Naomi Osaka bringing Allen Iverson’s courtside aesthetic to Arthur Ashe Stadium, the modern red carpet is no longer just about looking good—it’s about knowing your history (Photo: Lili Reinhart/Instagram)
Fashion has always looked backward to move forward, but today’s stars are turning homage dressing into a full-blown narrative strategy. From Zendaya’s sleek nod to 2002-era Halle Berry to Naomi Osaka bringing Allen Iverson’s courtside aesthetic to Arthur Ashe Stadium, the modern red carpet is no longer just about looking good—it’s about knowing your history (Photo: Lili Reinhart/Instagram)
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Explore how homage dressing bridges generations of style, from Zendaya’s Prada look to Naomi Osaka on court.
Homage dressing has evolved from a knowing fashion reference into a powerful way for celebrities to connect with the cultural moments that shaped them. Once reserved for subtle nods that only fashion insiders or dedicated fans might recognise, archival references are now often much more deliberate. A red carpet look might recreate the silhouette of a famous film costume, echo the styling of a sports icon or rework a signature look from another era.
By referencing a recognisable moment in fashion, film, music or sport, a celebrity can acknowledge an established legacy while giving the idea a distinctly contemporary context. Sometimes that means sourcing an original garment from an archive. In other cases, stylists and designers create custom pieces based on a particular silhouette, hairstyle, uniform or subcultural aesthetic.
The difference between homage and simple costume, however, comes down to the details. The strongest examples understand why the original look mattered and translate its defining elements without simply copying them. Done well, homage dressing gives audiences something familiar to recognise while leaving enough room for a new personality, era and cultural context to come through.
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Zendaya channelling Halle Berry in custom Prada
At recent public appearances, Zendaya and stylist Law Roach executed an explicit reference to Halle Berry’s 2002 fashion archive. The centerpiece was a custom floor-length silver Prada dress, heavily embellished with reflective sequins and finished with translucent white paneling along the neckline.
The silhouette borrowed its core structure from the sheer mini dress designed by Collette Dinnigan that Berry wore to the Die Another Day screening in 2002. To cement the aesthetic link, Zendaya abandoned her long waves in favor of a textured, cropped pixie hairstyle, matching the famous haircut Berry maintained during the early 2000s.
Lili Reinhart paying homage to rom-com icons
Above Actress Lili Reinhart channels a ‘90s-inspired look, pairing a silk slip dress with a blazer in New York City (Photo: Lili Reinhart/Instagram)
Above Embracing a sleek silhouette, Lili Reinhart wears a lavender bandage dress and square-toe heels offers a modern take on iconic ‘90s style (Photo: Lili Reinhart/Instagram)
Actress Lili Reinhart channels a ‘90s-inspired look, pairing a silk slip dress with a blazer in New York City (Photo: Lili Reinhart/Instagram)
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During her promotional tour for Love Hypothesis, Lili Reinhart deployed homage dressing by recreating specific wardrobe moments from landmark 2000s romantic comedies. Her first appearance pulled directly from the hangar transformation scene in Miss Congeniality (2000), where Sandra Bullock wears a lavender bandage dress. Reinhart executed this reference in a custom lilac Hervé Léger halter micro-mini dress, paired with brown-tinted oval sunglasses and strappy lavender heels to complete the period-accurate styling.
For a subsequent look, Reinhart pivoted to Jennifer Garner’s wardrobe in the 2004 film 13 Going on 30. Stylist Ib Abdel Nasser sourced the original cream-and-brown polka-dot Nanette Lepore coat worn by Garner’s character, Jenna Rink. Reinhart wore the archival outerwear draped over a cocoa plum slip dress and finished the ensemble with Jimmy Choo snake-print bow mules.
Maisie Williams in a burgundy gown inspired by a 1999 Sandra Bullock look
Above Actress Maisie Williams channels her ‘Practical Magic’ mom’s style in a rich, rust-toned gown by Ellie Misner (Photo: Maisie Williams/Instagram)
Actress Maisie Williams channels her ‘Practical Magic’ mom’s style in a rich, rust-toned gown by Ellie Misner (Photo: Maisie Williams/Instagram)
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At the London premiere for Practical Magic 2, actor Maisie Williams chose a sartorial reference to her co-star Sandra Bullock. Williams wore a custom burgundy dress designed by Ellie Misner, constructed specifically to replicate the two-piece ensemble Bullock wore to the 1999 premiere of Forces of Nature.
The design retained the minimalist, clean-lined structure of late-nineties red carpet styling. Ellie Misner transferred the casual t-shirt and skirt combination worn by Bullock in 1999 into a formal, floor-length drape that mirrored the exact tone and simple cut of the original garment.
Adéla as Nicole Kidman in her music video for ‘Nicole Kidman’
In the visual release for her single titled Nicole Kidman, Slovak pop artist Adéla constructed a narrative built entirely on homage dressing. Directed by Hannah Lux Davis, the music video visually recreates key costuming moments from Nicole Kidman’s extensive film history.
Rather than relying on vague inspiration, each wardrobe setup mirrors the specific textiles, cuts and hair styling of Kidman’s screen roles. The video features heavily boned period corsetry and theatrical lighting referencing Moulin Rouge! (2001), minimalist silk slip silhouettes and swept-back hair reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut (1999), and sharp corporate tailoring representing Babygirl (2024). In a direct nod to recent pop culture, Adéla also appears in a tailored dark pantsuit inside an empty cinema auditorium, matching Kidman’s recognizable AMC Theatres promotional spot.
Naomi Osaka as Allen Iverson at the US Open
Tennis champion Naomi Osaka brought homage dressing onto the court at the US Open by referencing former NBA star Allen Iverson. Osaka integrated subcultural basketball styling directly into high-performance athletic apparel.
Her custom Nike performance outfit featured a base layer tennis dress with newspaper-print graphics collecting headlines from Osaka’s own career, structured as an explicit nod to the graphic t-shirts and court attire associated with Iverson in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Before matches, she wore an oversized hooded entrance robe printed with media clippings. The look was finished with cornrow braid patterns styled to mirror Iverson’s signature hair during his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
