The Hidden Disney References in Ariana DeBose's 'Wish' Press Tour Fashion

Ariana DeBose's latest press tour came together under unprecedented circumstances — right out the gate after a four-month SAG-AFTRA strike, the longest in the union's history. Plus, the project in question comes from one of the biggest picket targets. It presented a unique challenge to her longtime styling team, Zadrian + Sarah.

"This is where relationships are so important, and this is why I'm so grateful for my studio," Zadrian Smith explains. "I have a very vigilant studio and experienced team."

With the strike lifted, Disney has gone ahead with a big push on the animated film "Wish," which stars DeBose as Asha, in light of the company's 100th anniversary. (That's why you've been seeing so many Disney capsules as of late.)

"It's the first Afro-Latina heroine princess," Smith says of Asha. "Ariana has directly breathed life into this character. I kept thinking about how pivotal this moment would be for young girls of color. I remember watching the videos of when girls saw 'The Little Mermaid' and I was so moved. I wanted to continue that narrative with what we were doing, so that little Afro-Latina girls could look at Ari and say, 'I can get braids like that. I can have makeup like that. I don't have to try to emulate white standards of European beauty — I am enough.'"

Knowing that milestone was happening even as Hollywood was at a standstill and understanding the implications of DeBose's role, the Zadrian + Sarah studio figured there would be some sort of "Wish" press at some point — it simply didn't know when. So, the team went into "just in case" planning mode, researching and initiating those conversations with brands they've worked with already, to have some sort of framework ready for when they were given the green light. "Because we have wonderful relationships, people did that for us, so that when we were ready to go, we were able to execute," Smith says. All in all, there were 15 people working on this across three cities: Los Angeles, New York and London. (Some former employees even came back into the fold to make this happen on such a short timeline.)

Relatability was the big theme with this press tour wardrobe. So, Zadrian + Sarah worked to make sure each look felt as accessible as possible: "It's a wonderful fusion of glamorous, but something that's quite warm and welcoming," Smith says. Then, DeBose herself pitched another thematic layer that would allow people to further connect with what she was wearing.

"She called me and was like, 'So, on top of finding me beautiful looks in less than four hours, I also want you to help me to assign a character to each look,'" Smith remembers. "I was like, 'Great.'"

The entire glam team would collaborate to assign a Disney character to each look depending on the clothing, her hair and makeup, plus how DeBose felt that day; because Zadrian + Sarah's studio was pulling additional options as the tour rolled on, they would be able to more easily find thematically-appropriate options.

"Doing this allowed people to have a bigger imagination," Smith argues, "and say, 'If I put on a pink ballgown with the mermaid tail, I can be Aurora. If I put on this two-piece denim [look], I can be Stitch. It's about having a vision, imagination, a dream — all these Disney characters, their stories are actually human stories that we can identify with."

The scope expanded beyond the typical princesses (and princess silhouettes): In addition to denim, there are pencil skirts, blazers and, notably, lots of trousers. "To be a Disney princess in the sequined pants suit — we had a huge conversation [about it], and we were like, 'This is an opportunity for us, to let girls see that you can still be a Disney heroine and have on pants,'" Smith says. "I've been doing this for so long, and it's those kind of narratives that I have to tell. Let's tell a story. Let's move the needle. Let's say something."

As DeBose and her glam team would post about each look and its inspiration, their respective followings would get involved. "The amount of DMs I had," Smith says. "I feel like we were really able to get people excited about what we were doing in a way that Disney hasn't done before."

Over the course of the promotional cycle, DeBose wore Jason Wu, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, Valentino, Carolina Herrera, Markarian, Sergio Hudson and Alejandra Alonso Rojas. The look that got the biggest response was the one for the "Wish" U.K. premiere, which connected back to Asha: a purple tulle bustier gown by Dolce & Gabbana.

"Everybody wanted a picture with her," Smith says.

He admits that working with the Italian fashion house, whose founders have had a history of bad behavior, required a conversation — internally, with the brand's team and with other stylists who have pulled from them recently. "It's a brand that I paused on for a very long time, and I'm glad that we took a very long time to pause and to reflect and to think," Smith admits. "It wasn't haphazard. It was a very considered decision that we made."

"I'm at a stage in my life where I want to be able to forgive people because we're all humans and we all make mistakes," he continues. "And through conversations with the brand itself — and also for what I stand for and what Ariana stands for — we felt that it was a good moment for us to revisit a partnership. And I have to tell you, it was probably one of the smoothest, most supportive and understanding the mission."

Press tours are a marathon, not a sprint for celebrities and their teams. This is only the first leg of "Wish" promo; it now moves into awards campaigning — as DeBose also begins pushing Matthew Vaughn's "Argylle". Still, this isn't a chapter Smith will soon forget.

"Normally, little girls will be afraid to walk up and say hello — but all of these little girls were walking up [to DeBose] so unafraid, and I think that's because they saw a little bit of themselves in Ariana," he says. "They weren't afraid to approach her and say, 'Hi, can I have a picture with you?' That, for me, is a huge takeaway."

See more of DeBose's "Wish" press tour looks — and the Disney characters they're referencing — below.

View the 6 images of this gallery on the original article

Never miss the latest fashion industry news. Sign up for the Fashionista daily newsletter.