After her short-lived spin as Parisienne Mob Wife in a Christian Dior leopard coat at the French luxuriate’s recent Cruise 2025 collection presentation in Scotland, Jennifer Lawrence has returned to her typical ‘quiet luxury’ agenda in New York. Since concluding her three-year hiatus with a sartorial rebrand and parade of ‘stealth wealth’ staples (see: The Row, Khaite, Totême), Lawrence has reserved showcasing any evidence of her comedic and relatable nature in favour of a hyper-curated exterior.
However, that all changed overnight as she stepped out in Manhattan wearing LOEWE’s “I Told Ya” slogan t-shirt from Luca Guadagnino’s steamy sports drama, Challengers. (Before we dive into a breakdown of this ensemble, click here to read GRAZIA’s review of the film, including an interview with the film’s stars, Zendaya and Josh O’Connor.)
Lawrence is acutely aware of how her style curries favour (and oftentimes controversy as her new aesthetic has been criticised for being “inauthentic”) and courts positive media attention. So her decision to unabashedly promote the film while proving she can not only be in on the joke but in the high fashion conversation is something we’ve not seen since she eschewed jelly shoes and floral dungarees for couture.
The actor and producer paired the logo shirt with her other wardrobe hallmarks, including a pair of high-waisted pleated trousers and Teva-style leather sandals. Ultimately, this outing reveals one glaring question that we demand Lawrence answer: Is she team Tashi, Patrick or Art?
Of course, there is a double entendre underscoring the outfit, too. For the uninitiated, the Jonathan Anderson-designed shirt lifts a piece from John F. Kennedy Jr.’s 90s wardrobe. The late son of President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Onassis were pictured wearing the original garment while relaxing in Central Park with his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in 1997.
The graphic statement is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the phrase “I Told You So”, which appeared on buttons worn by supporters at the 35th President of the United States’ inauguration. The blue-blooded, old-money JFK Jr. might have adopted a slang version for the pre-21st Century era, but when worn in this context, we have to wonder what Lawrence is signalling here. Is she telling us she always possessed an interest in fashion history? Or, perhaps soft-launching herself as the next LOEWE ‘It’ girl alongside Taylor Russell and Greta Lee. Perhaps more accurately, she’s subtly acknowledging the influence Bessette-Kennedy’s beloved minimal dress sense has had in the evolution of her style.
Zendaya, O’Connor and Anderson all wore variants of the shirt during the Challengers press tour, too, conveying that they always knew the film would become the sensation it has.
Speaking to WWD, Anderson revealed that JFK Jr heavily impacted his approach to designing the costume for O’Conner’s character Patrick. “When JFK Jr. was younger, in the ‘80s and ‘90s, there was kind of an effortlessness to his wardrobe — like he could wear anything, and sex appeal would always be there,” Anderson said.
“I felt like [Patrick] should not care how he looks because, ultimately, he is not endorsed, he is not the biggest star in tennis, so his look becomes a bit ad-hoc and stuck together. But when you look at the base parts of his attire, he has very aged, expensive things, including an old wallet that’s still very expensive, though it’s falling apart.”
For those looking to pledge their allegiance to this much-needed entry in the canon of tennis films and ménage à trois, or even looking for an entryway into buying LOEWE at an accessible price point (that isn’t the maison’s new tomato coin purse), shop the limited edition exclusive shirts, below.
