Zendaya’s ‘I Told Ya’ T-shirt Is Officially For Sale

That Jonathan Anderson has a knack for fusing the tongue-in-cheek with serious craftsmanship and turning it into popular culture is not news. After all, he’s the brains behind Carrie Bradshaw’s pigeon bag, he masterminded Harry Styles’s granny knit patchwork cardigan and made the grand dame of English theatre, Maggie Smith, a fashion campaign girl at the age of 89. And most recently, he’s created the costumes for Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers, featuring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, adding another ingenious string to his bow. Enter the 'I Told Ya' T-shirt.

And while court style (think Zendaya’s tennis ball heels) makes up most of the tennis-focused film’s wardrobe, it’s not just pleated skirts and polo shirts that take centre court. Eagle-eyed watchers of the film’s trailer will have spotted a more low-key item of clothing that plays to another of Anderson’s strengths: re-nosing vintage designs and bringing them back to the shop floor. His Wellipets collaboration featuring frog shoes, famously worn by Prince Harry, was a prime example for his truffle hog-like skills of unearthing cult items from the past and making them zeitgeist again.

Next up? A £15 slogan T-shirt, sported by Zendaya in Challengers, spelling out ‘I Told Ya.’ And the designer himself already wore it to the film premiere in Rome and co-star Josh O'Connor wore a tuxedo shirt to the London red carpet with the slogan emblazoned across his chest. But this particular slogan tee is no new creation either.

Just like Anderson’s Wellipets collaboration, it had a famous wearer three decades ago: John F Kennedy Jr, JFK’s son and husband to the forever minimal wardrobe muse Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. He first wore the pass-agg slogan garb in paparazzi pics when playing with his dog.

And Anderson is not alone in his quest for letting your slogan do the talking: from Balenciaga to Vaquera and Moschino, fashion with an, ahem, literal message, reigned supreme on the new season catwalks. But once again, he’s managed to veer our attention away from wardrobe basics and to novelty fashion instead, which is, perhaps, his greatest skill and a breath of fresh air in the current age of peak closet uniformity.

Want to get your hands on the T-shirt? Good news, it’s currently available for £15. Or, if you're into the real deal, snap up the newly launched Loewe 'I Told Ya' collection for the official movie merch.

Henrik Lischke is the Senior Fashion Features Editor at Grazia. A first-class honours Fashion Journalism graduate from UAL: London College of fashion, Henrik is invariably on the lookout for the newest talent in fashion, that is driving the industry forward, and shining the spotlight on them whenever possible. He’s also got a passion for interior design and the arts.