The promotional tour for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which opens on 20 November, has turned into one of the most striking red carpet runs of the past two weeks. On a tour that began in London at the end of October and continued in Berlin and Madrid in early November, the actors chose outfits referencing the world of the film. Marie Claire Australia interprets this approach as the “method dressing” trend prominent in 2026 films, in which an actor carries their role through their clothes. The two stars of the tour are Elle Fanning, who plays the young Effie Trinket, and Mckenna Grace, who plays Maysilee Donner.
Elle Fanning: Effie’s runway
London: Robert Wun couture
At the London fan screening on 28 October, Fanning wore a ballerina-inspired pink piece from Robert Wun’s Fall 2026 haute couture collection. According to W Magazine, the extravagant tutu uses more than 390 feet of layered tulle and about 200 feet of silk organza, while the wavy bodice was shaped as if it were falling away from the body. The signature of the look was a headpiece resembling an old music box, topped with a spinning ballerina figure. In her own post, the actor also noted that the Cartier necklace around her neck dates from 1998, the year she was born.
See Elle Fanning's Robert Wun look on her own Instagram account
According to Cheatsheet, Fanning also wore a custom pale pink Valentino Couture suit at the same London stop; a ruffled skirt, a large white collar, a beret and butterfly gloves completed this look.
Press day: Gucci and Cartier
On the press day of 30 October, the line changed completely. As reported by W Magazine, the actor chose a custom emerald green Gucci skirt suit by Demna. Sharp, upturned shoulders, a bow hat and a gold hair clip completed the look. Among the Cartier pieces from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, the 1944 butterfly brooch on the lapel read like a nod to Elizabeth Banks’s Effie in the earlier films.
See Elle Fanning's Gucci and Cartier look on her own Instagram account
Mckenna Grace: in Katniss’s footsteps
London: Almée Couture
The story Grace built throughout the tour moved forward through references to the series’ earlier films. The Almée Couture gown she wore in London rendered the arena’s mountains, flowers and sky in beads and sequins. Marie Claire Australia reads this workmanship as the arena of the Quarter Quell.
Berlin: Công Trí
At the Berlin premiere on 2 November, the actor stepped out in a custom gown by Công Trí. The red, black and yellow flame pattern spreading from the bodice to the skirt recalled Katniss’s chariot costume in Catching Fire.
Watch Mckenna Grace's Berlin look on the film's Instagram account
Madrid: Miss Sohee
At the Spanish stop, Grace’s choice was Miss Sohee Couture. The flowers and vine motifs embroidered on a nude base were interpreted as a tribute to the floral dress Jennifer Lawrence wore at the Golden Globes.
Watch Mckenna Grace's Madrid look on the film's Instagram account
And the others
- Mckenna Grace, Academy Museum Gala: According to Marie Claire Australia, a custom red Mônot gown referenced Jennifer Lawrence’s red Calvin Klein Collection dress from the 2011 Oscars.
- Joseph Zada, London: Tom Ford, according to Cheatsheet.
- Whitney Peak, London: Chanel, according to Cheatsheet.
Why it matters
In our view, this tour shows once again that costume no longer fits within the film set when it comes to promotion. The idea strengthened by the Barbie and Wicked tours moves to its next step here: clothes are no longer chosen just to look elegant, they give the audience a clue or a memory of the series. That is also why Fanning’s spinning ballerina became a story of its own in many publications.
The link between these choices and the characters is no coincidence either. As W Magazine points out, Effie, played by Fanning, will appear as the stylist of the young Haymitch Abernathy as he prepares for the 50th Hunger Games; so in the film, too, clothing is part of the story. Grace’s references, meanwhile, speak less to new viewers than to fans who have followed the series for years. In our view, what makes the tour interesting is that the two actors do the same job in different ways: one carries her role into clothes, the other the memory of the series.
From Türkiye’s point of view, the subject does not belong to Hollywood alone. Having actors appear in custom designs connected to their roles at the promotion of local films and series could be a visible showcase for Turkish designers. For those who want to follow similar events, see also our roundup of the best looks from the LACMA Art+Film Gala.
Sources
- W Magazine: Elle Fanning and Robert Wun
- W Magazine: Elle Fanning, Gucci and Cartier
- Marie Claire Australia: Method dressing
- Brit + Co: Mckenna Grace’s looks
- Cheatsheet: the London event
Image: Night view of the Corinthia Hotel in London (representative image, not from the event) — Bohao Zhao, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
The Instagram posts in this article are official posts by the respective accounts and are published using Instagram’s embed tool; the rights to the images belong to their owners.