The Double, Triple, Quadruple, Infinite Threat
Once a child star on Disney Channel's Shake It Up, Zendaya is now one of the leading public figures of her generation and one of the most beloved celebrities for Millennials and Gen Z. Of all of her career pathways - singing, acting, dancing, modeling, fashion designing, etc. - she is best known for her acting career and daring red carpet fashion. With lead roles in the hit HBO series Euphoria and the successful Spider-Man film franchise, Dune film franchise, The Greatest Showman film, and more, Zendaya has earned her title as one of the biggest and most talented actresses of her generation and a fashion icon - winning 2 Emmy's for her performance as Rue Bennett in Euphoria and being the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America's Fashion Icon Award.
Recapping all of that, you may now be asking: how does fashion play into Zendaya's acting career? In this article, Hollywood Branded discusses how Zendaya's films and fashion intertwine - boosting her as quite the creative and clever force in the entertainment industry, and positively boosting her image and reputation in both the intertwining cinematic and fashion universes.
Spider-man Franchise
Zendaya plays MJ in Sony's newest film adaptations of the Spider-Man universe, alongside Tom Holland as Peter Parker, Jacob Batalon as Ned, and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May. Now three films into the franchise, Zendaya has graced many Spider-Man red carpet premieres and events, bathed in cleverly chosen fashion picks that channel the spirit of Spider-Man and make fans' spidey senses tingle in awe! Zendaya's gowns, accessories, and makeup directly reference the iconic superhero, allowing her to embody the character in a stylish way while standing out on the carpet and further highlighting her commitment to her craft - both her films and her fashion.
For the Spider-Man red carpets and events, Zendaya and her stylist Law Roach have worked closely with top fashion houses like Valentino, Alexander McQueen, and Roberto Cavalli to create custom pieces that embody the essence of Spider-Man. The following images capture some of Zendaya's best looks honoring Spider-Man through spider web designs, a metal spine akin to Doc Oc, and the iconic red and black color palette of Spider-Man himself.
Photo Credit: Harper's BAZAAR
Photo Credit: POPSUGAR
Photo Credit: POPSUGAR
DUNe Franchise
Zendaya plays Chani in Warner Bros.’ newest hit film franchise Dune, alongside Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, and Javier Bardem as Stilgar. With the second film of the franchise released in March of this year, Zendaya has recently been very popular on the web for her stunning red carpet and promotional tour looks - with references to her Dune Part 1 looks from 2021 as well.
In Zendaya-style, she and stylist Law channeled the earthy tones and textured fabrics of the apocalyptic, futuristic, desert-encompassed film world of Dune to inspire her fashion choices. For the Dune red carpets and other promotional events, Zendaya and Law worked with top fashion and jewelry brands like Mugler, Louis Vuitton, Alaia, and Bulgari to create custom pieces - and bring back vintage looks - that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of Dune.
The following images showcase a few of Zendaya’s best looks paying homage to the newest franchise in her filmography through a shiny silver metallic and plexiglass armor-like robotic suit, a cream flowy-to-fitted canvas dress, and a beige suede body-hugging dress paired with a gorgeous green gemstone necklace.
Photo Credit: Harper's BAZAAR
Photo Credit: Unison
Photo Credit: Reddit
challengers
Zendaya plays Tashi in her newest movie - the tennis, love, and redemption-themed film Challengers from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - alongside Josh O’Connor as Patrick and Mike Faist as Art. Unlike Spider-Man and Dune, Challengers is not apart of a multi-film franchise, however, Zendaya still went hard for the red carpet and promotional tour looks - creating a fashion saga that has come to quickly be known as “tennis chic.”
For these events, Zendaya and Law pulled from vintage Louis Vuitton archives and also worked with Loewe, Lacoste, and Elisabetta Franchi for custom looks. The following images display just a few of the stunning designs Zendaya wore, referring to her tennis film Challengers through a green metallic floor length gown featuring a shadow serving a tennis ball, a white two piece athletic crop set embellished with a mesh skirt that reminds us of a tennis net, and a silver metallic deep v-neck tennis dress paired with white pumps with tennis balls for heels.
On and off the tennis court, Zendaya is serving!
Photo Credit: Page Six
Photo Credit: Town & Country Magazine
Photo Credit: Business Insider
Honorable mention
The Met Gala is an annual fundraising gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Considered one of the most prominent and exclusive social events in the world, The Met Gala draws A-list talent, fashion icons, and high-society figures - if they're invited, that is - for a night of fashion, fun, and attention from almost everybody in the world. Anybody who's anybody wants to be invited - and those who attend go head-to-head vying to make the best dressed list.
Every year, The Met Gala dons a different theme for the night - with the most recent event honoring late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Zendaya, who has not been in attendance the past few years due to her growing acting career and busier schedule, has notably been placed on the best dressed list multiple times for her mesmerizing, creative, and on-theme ensembles. One of Zendaya's most memorable looks is from The 2019 Met Gala themed Camp: Notes on Fashion. At this gala, Zendaya dressed as Cinderella - a folktale reimagined and made more famous by its 1950 Disney animated princess film.
Her dress was custom-made by Tommy Hilfiger and began looking like a stunning blue tulle ball gown before her "fairy godmother" (and stylist) Law waved a magic wand and the dress lit up live creating a dazzling performance on the carpet that captivated viewers and other A-list attendees. To take it a step further, Zendaya switched up her usual long brown curls for a blonde pixie cut featuring a blue headband that matched her dress. Her purse was also a mini carriage - referring to the carriage Cinderella takes to the ball after her fairy godmother transforms it from a pumpkin - and Zendaya even left behind one of her "glass" slippers on the iconic carpeted stairs outside the event to complete the look's story.
Although The Met Gala wasn't technically a red carpet event for one of Zendaya's films, Zendaya still took the opportunity to beautifully pay homage to a staple film in cinematic history, and ended up walking away as one of the best dressed of the night!
Photo Credit: Pinterest
The It Girl
With every red carpet, promotional event, fashion shoot, and more, Zendaya reminds us time and time again why she's fashion's IT girl. Not only has she consistently wowed audiences with her fashion choices, but the cleverness and story behind the looks - thanks to the brilliant mind of her stylist Law Roach - has inspired other A-list stars, and those of us who work a 9-5, to step up our own fashion game. Refreshing, creative, and authentic, Zendaya and Law are definitely a duo to keep up with.
Eager To Learn More?
Interested in the intersection of fashion and entertainment? Explore Hollywood Branded's insights on how style shapes the industry, from marketing campaigns to product placements:
- Genius SKIMS Marketing Campaigns
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- Costume Designers Are Now Fashion Influencers And Trendsetters
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