Jennifer Lawrence Elevates Zendaya's "I Told Ya" T-Shirt From 'Challengers' Like Only She Can
She tapped her favorite designer accessories to dial up the graphic tee.
A funny fashion coincidence is unfolding in real time: Hours after Zendaya revealed her favorite trendy sneakers came from working on Challengers, Jennifer Lawrence borrowed the "I Told Ya" T-shirt from Zendaya's on-and-offscreen tenniscore wardrobe.
Zendaya's Challengers costumes, designed by Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, included a $330 recreation of an "I Told Ya" T-shirt worn by John F. Kennedy Jr. in the 1990s. Shortly after the film was released, the shirt went up for sale at Loewe—and it appears that Lawrence snagged one for herself. Lawrence styled up the cheeky graphic T-shirt for a walk around Manhattan on Thursday, June 6, tucking the gray top into a pair of La Ligne black trousers coordinating with the shirt's bold-font message.
Lawrence dialed up the T-shirt and slacks' appeal with megawatt pieces from her favorite designer labels. Over her shoulder, she carried a Dior saddle bag—perhaps a souvenir from her visit to the label's Resort 2025 front row in a leopard print coat earlier this week. On her feet, she stepped into a pair of The Row's sporty, two-strap sandals. Together, her accessories total to just over $5,000. (Something tells me Tashi Duncan, who spends her time onscreen in Chanel flats and heaps of Augustinus Bader body cream, would approve.)
Lawrence's shirt isn't just one very expensive graphic tee with a growing fanbase—it's a piece with meaning. Onscreen, the "I Told Ya" T-shirt is a symbol of the ever-evolving dynamics between characters Tashi (played by Zendaya), Patrick (played by Josh O'Connor) and Art (played by Mike Faist). When someone slips into the shirt that is initially worn by O'Connor's Patrick, it signifies a shift in the trio's power struggle.
Speaking about the design toWWD, Anderson explained that JFK Jr. was an important reference for Challengers's visual identity. "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. That same energy runs through the wardrobes of all three characters in the film.
Once the T-shirt made it onto the big screen, it became a viral phenomenon. Zendaya and O'Connor both wore the piece during their Challengers press tour. Knock-offs have proliferated at online stores, but only Loewe's comes with the wardrobe designer's seal of approval.
Was Jennifer Lawrence trying to send a message with her shirt—other than the text itself? It's too hard to say without input from the star or her stylist, Jamie Mizrahi. At the very least, it's a hat-tip to the way Zendaya wore the shirt weeks earlier. The actress originally styled the "I Told Ya" top with loose trousers and mesh flats, two pieces on repeat in Lawrence's designer-heavy wardrobe.
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Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders including stylist Alison Bornstein and J.Crew womenswear creative director Olympia Gayot, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what trends—like the rise of doll-like Mary Janes or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. (She justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”) Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. Halie has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self-Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she was awarded the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.
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