McKenna Grace apparently looked at the Hunger Games dress code and had combustion as her weapon of choice. The actress arrived at the Berlin stop of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping press tour Monday wearing a custom Cong Tri gown that looked molten from neckline to hem. Covered in red, orange, gold, and black sequins, the form-fitting bodice gave way to a huge pleated skirt streaked with colours that resembled flames licking through charred fabric.
Grace then supplied the special effects herself. She lifted both sides of the skirt into the air, sending its fiery pleats flying around her and making the gown look even closer to something actively burning. No actual ignition required, but the fiery fashion was undeniable.
McKenna Grace Becomes the Girl on Fire
The reference was difficult to miss. Grace and stylist Molly Dickson were paying tribute to Katniss Everdeen's famous 'Girl on Fire' wardrobe, complete with curls and braided details reminiscent of Jennifer Lawrence's styling as the District 12 heroine.
Katniss first earned the nickname in The Hunger Games after stylist Cinna dressed her and Peeta Mellark in costumes that appeared to catch fire during their chariot entrance. He returned to the idea for her televised interview, putting Katniss in a dress that appeared to ignite around the hem when she twirled.
Grace's version thankfully skipped the flames and relied on fabric, colour, sequins, and one very committed pose instead. When she threw the skirt upwards, the black-and-red pleats fanned out like a wall of fire.
Cong Tri was well equipped for the assignment. Founded by Vietnamese designer Nguyen Cong Tri, the eponymous label is known for intricate craftsmanship and couture-level construction. The designer established his career in the early 2000s and went on to build what his label describes as Vietnam's first couture house. For Berlin, all that workmanship went straight to Panem.
McKenna Grace Is Method Dressing Her Way Through Panem
This is hardly Grace's first trip into the franchise wardrobe. The 20-year-old, who plays District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner in Sunrise on the Reaping, has spent much of the film's press tour turning Hunger Games references into red carpet looks.
In Paris, she reached directly into Katniss's Catching Fire closet with an archival Monique Lhuillier wedding gown customised with a crystal-covered bodice. The reference was Katniss's infamous Capitol wedding dress, which Cinna rigged to burn away during her interview and reveal a black Mockingjay look underneath.
Other appearances have pulled from elsewhere in Panem. Grace has worn a vintage blue Betsey Johnson dress inspired by Rue's interview outfit and incorporated butterflies, braids, and other details tied to the franchise and her own character. That makes her Berlin look the latest chapter in a committed game of fashion Easter eggs.
Sunrise on the Reaping, arriving in cinemas on 20 November, takes audiences back to the 50th Hunger Games and follows a young Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada. Grace's Maysilee enters the arena as another District 12 tribute.
For now, though, McKenna Grace has already brought one District 12 legend to Berlin. Katniss needed Cinna and a few special effects to earn the Girl on Fire title. Grace needed Cong Tri and some fiery fabric to capture hearts and catch fire.
