Zendaya’s style evolution: from Disney darling to show-stopping looks from her long-lasting collaboration with stylist Law Roach

Prior to working on her standout Disney role as KC in K.C. Undercover (2015), Zendaya was exploring a career in the music industry putting out singles such as Swag It Out and Replay, followed by a self-titled album. As a result, she started to make more of a statement with her event dressing, especially at music-related events.

At a pre-BET Awards dinner she sported a vibrant patterned asymmetrical dress with a pair of red Christian Louboutin So Kate heels—which would become her signature shoe, according to Roach, an anecdote he shared on The Cutting Room Floor podcast.

At the 2015 Grammy Awards, Zendaya showed an edgier side of herself, opting for a sharp tailored suit à la the Yves Saint Laurent smoking jacket look. She teamed it with a mullet haircut, resulting in a cool, androgynous style that emphasised her ability to pull off vastly different looks.

Zendaya has always been an advocate for the Black community, taking the opportunity of her public platform to represent elements of her upbringing and heritage. She did just that at the InStyle Awards in 2017, sporting an Angela Davis-esque afro, which shone a light on her family’s involvement in the Black Panther movement during the 1960s—a tidbit she’d shared with Vogue in July that year.

While this was not Zendaya’s first rodeo at the Met Gala—she debuted at the 2015 event sporting Fausto Puglisi for the China: Through the Looking Glass theme, and attended the following two events—this Joan of Arc-inspired look complete with a short rust-coloured bob was a memorable ensemble for the ages. Decked out in custom Versace “armour”, she executed the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination theme to a tee with his historical reference.

At the 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards, Zendaya stepped out in an instantly iconic custom Tom Ford breastplate and skirt in shocking pink, helming the corset and bodice trend that would soon dominate fashion. Matching pink shoes and stunning long braids would demonstrate the strength of simple yet impactful styling—in this case, a monochrome palette helped highlight the impressive nature of the 3D printed top.

Zendaya and Roach opted for a modern take on old Hollywood glamour for the 2022 Emmy Awards with a black strapless Valentino ballgown complete with a huge skirt, sparkling jewels and a voluminous 1960s-inspired sleek ’do, secured with a black ribbon, that resembled Audrey Hepburn’s awards style.

This was an appropriate style for the evening, as Zendaya won her second Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in Euphoria and was able to receive her award on stage this time—she accepted her first award back in 2020 for the same nomination via video call.

Following a string of successful red carpet looks for the premieres of the Spiderman trilogy—including a spiderweb embroidered Valentino gown and vintage Roberto Cavalli dress with a gold spine—Zendaya and Roach took thematic dressing to another level with the premiere of Dune (2021), with major looks at each event. She wore a white shimmering Rick Owens number to the London premiere, with draping details that emulated the costume of her desert-dwelling character in the film, Chani. More celebrities have adopted this approach to press tours, not only to lean into the film’s themes but to also highlight archival pieces and designers.

Today, Zendaya is revered as one of the best-dressed celebrities in Hollywood, and she continues to work with Roach on expanding her portfolio of unforgettable looks.

As one of the hosts of this year’s Met Gala, plus the creative theme of Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, there was no denying she was going to wear something spectacular.

Right off the tail-end of her fashion-filled Challengers press tour, she sported a stunning peacock-blue custom gown by John Galliano for Maison Margiela—one of the most talked about shows at Paris Fashion Week the month before—and moody 1920s make-up, which was both a nod to the dark, glamorous feel of the show and captured the essence of the event’s theme.

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