McKenna Grace has spent her Hunger Games press tour recreating looks from the franchise's costume archive, and six outfits show how carefully she chose the references. The latest, a mint Betsey Johnson dress worn on the Today Show on Monday, 26 October, echoes the interview dress Amandla Stenberg wore as Rue in the 2012 film.
Grace plays Maysilee Donner in Sunrise on the Reaping, the District 12 tribute who owned the Mockingjay pin before Katniss Everdeen did. By wearing outfits that chronologically post-date her character, Grace uses her red-carpet wardrobe as a narrative bridge, mapping the lineage of District 12's rebellion long before her film hits screens.
1. The Capitol Sequin Look
Grace wore a geometric, multicoloured Gucci sequin dress that mirrors the glittering Capitol showgirl costumes in the comparison image. It is the loudest of the six, and the only one that nods to the Capitol's stage shows rather than a single character.
2. Jennifer Lawrence's Red Carpet Gown
A custom plunging halter gown from Mônot channels the iconic red Calvin Klein dress Jennifer Lawrence wore to the 2011 Academy Awards, expanding Grace's homage from Katniss Everdeen to the actress who originated the role.
3. The Snow Mansion Party Dress
A black dress with red feathered shoulder accents and a gold headband mirrors Katniss Everdeen's victory tour outfit from President Snow's mansion in Catching Fire. The dramatic feathered detailing adds a sharper, more dangerous Capitol edge than her softer pastel looks.
4. Rue's Interview Dress
For her Today Show appearance, Grace wore an archival aquamarine, puff-sleeved Betsey Johnson mini dress styled by Molly Dickson. By mirroring Rue's gentle Capitol interview silhouette from the original 2012 film, the soft morning-show look carries a sharp narrative sting for fans who recognise her character's fate.
5. Katniss's Capitol Wedding Gown
In early October, Grace wore a reworked vintage Monique Lhuillier gown: a white tiered ruffled design with metallic, cage-like bodice detailing. It recreates the white-and-metal wedding dress Tex Saverio designed for Katniss in Catching Fire.
6. Johanna Mason's Premiere Look
A sleeveless grey-blue midi dress featuring a high cream collar mirrors the two-tone ensemble Jena Malone wore on the Catching Fire press circuit. Channelling Malone's promotional wardrobe allows Grace to pay tribute to her co-stars' real-world history alongside Panem lore.
Why the Mockingjay Pin Ties Them Together
The thread connecting all six looks is the Mockingjay pin's legacy, even if Grace skips wearing the literal emblem on every dress. In lore, Tam Amber made the pin for Maysilee's 13th birthday before it passed to her niece Madge and eventually to Katniss. When mockingjays answer Rue's whistle in the arena, it connects Maysilee, Katniss and Rue.
Grace says her choices are personal. She told ET she is 'such a huge Hunger Games fan' and called the project healing after years of finding fashion hard. She has also said her braids honour Stefania Barr, who played Maysilee in the 2011 fan film The Hunger Games: The Second Quarter Quell, and called the looks an 'homage to all the people that were a part of this franchise before I was'.
Personal or not, the result stands apart. While Margot Robbie and Zendaya stayed inside their characters' timelines, Grace dresses for figures Maysilee will never meet on screen. The only major Katniss look still missing is the 'Girl on Fire' interview gown from the first film. Saving that reveal for the premiere would complete her visual narrative—though six looks have already woven Maysilee into the saga's most famous images.
