You wouldn’t think that a veritable style god like Timothée Chalamet would need red carpet pointers. After all, the public has watched as Chalamet famously wore a red jumpsuit to a Bones and All premiere. And who can forget when Chalamet wore S&M gear to the Golden Globes? But he recently admitted to taking some fashion cues from another incredibly stylish source: his Dune buddy Zendaya.
While promoting the Willy Wonka prequel film, Chalamet sat down for an interview on Access Hollywood’s YouTube alongside his Wonka castmate Hugh Grant. The spirited duo discussed the similarities between their career beginnings (citing Grant’s Maurice and Chalamet’s Call Me by Your Name) and how the new Wonka adaptation is a cheerful break from cynicism, but they also delved into all of the colorful looks that Timothée has been sporting lately in support of the film.
The 27-year-old actor has been rolling out fittingly all-purple fits for the Wonka promo tour, a style move that he credits his Dune: Part Two co-star Zendaya with inspiring.
I feel like Zendaya is a great example how, in this day and age, you can sort of lean into what the vibe of a movie is in the promotional stuff you do. So, this movie is cheerful and fun and colorful.
The movie star showed up to the movie’s Tokyo premiere in a custom Prada look consisting of a patent-leather lavender shirt and similarly glossy trousers, accessorized with white Bottega Veneta boots and silver jewelry from Cartier, Fashionista reported.
And he kept the modern Willy Wonka vibes going at the London premiere, where he chose plum-colored velvet suit from Tom Ford’s Spring 2024 collection, worn, as has become a Chalamet signature, with no shirt underneath, showing off a chunky Cartier necklace instead.
Chalamet was asked if his younger self—specifically the one who partook in high-school productions like Sweet Charity, a song-and-dance background that reportedly helped him land the role of Wonka—would like his recent style choices. He joked:
He would love this look, but it starts with Hugh Grant, it starts with his sartorial choices early on in his career.
In retaliation, Grant later quipped that the young actor reminded him of his mother and asked him what he wears when he’s at home alone playing video games.
However, it was all joking good fun between the two co-stars, with Chalamet admitting that he considers the classic Hugh Grant movie, 2003’s Love Actually, to be “the best Christmas movie of all time.” High praise!
Speaking of Christmas, Wonka—one of the most high-profile releases on the 2023 movie schedule—is set to open in theaters and in IMAX ahead of the holiday, hitting screens internationally on December 6 and in North America on December 15.
And if you can’t wait to see Timmy and Zendaya together onscreen again, you won’t have to wait too long. The fashionable buddies will be back for Dune: Part Two, premiering in theaters on March 1, 2024. You just know they’re going to slay the red carpets for that promo tour!