Since the early 2010's, Zendaya has starred in many movies, television series and videos. But how does she make such a grand entrance at her red carpet events? Her longtime friend and stylist, Roach Law. Law has been the creative genius and mastermind behind every single look that Zendaya has worn. From bright pops of color, to moody ensembles, to matching the outfit to the movie, Law has thought of it all. Now, lets begin with one of her earliest outfits.
One of Zendaya's earliest outfits, worn at the 2012 Disney Shake it Up Event. She goes all business casual with a pink blazer, a black shirt, black sequin skinny jeans, and black stiletto pumps that have flower embroidery on the toe. At this point in time, Zendaya was technically working with her longtime friend, and future stylist Law Roach, but did not have the ability to work with him for everything. In her interview with Harper Bazaar, she comments how everything was really expensive back when she was younger and just starting out in the industry. She also mentioned at times that her red carpet outfits were pieces that were pulled straight from her closet. The outfit above was one of those times.
This outfit was worn at the 2014 BET Awards, and follows an old school rapper style. This outfit still has the same bright colors as the 2012 Shake It Up event, but also incorporates more gold accents. The outfit entails a blue bomber jacket with black cuffs, gold buttons, and white accents, with a black tube top, and a matching blue high-rise maxi skirt with black scalloped hems. The skirt also features a mid-thigh slit. For accessories, Zendaya matches this look with gold hoop earrings, a black baseball hat, and black stiletto pumps with gold circles. Zendaya stated, "At this point in time, I was at every event that I was not nominated for," in her interview with Harper Bazaar. The outfit itself was created by Law, and was created as a set Zendaya also mentioned that Law had a specific vision for what he wanted, and he delivered.
This dress was worn at the Go Red for Women Dress Collection in 2015, where Zendaya walked down the red carpet in this dress, which was designed by Rubin Singer. The event itself was a fashion show for charity. The dress itself has a tight, almost corset-like bodice with a layered neckline. The dress billows out into a half-up half-down look that was extremely popular in the 2010's. Law styled this outfit together, and matched the dress to her So Kate red pointed heels. Law didn't add any accessories as they would've taken away from the dress being the main focal point. From the 2014 BET Awards, to this runway, the colors still stay bright and happy, but also evolve with Zendaya as she has matured. In her interview with Harper Bazaar, she mentioned that she had previously been in a fashion show when she was in middle school, so this wasn't her first time on the catwalk.
Zendaya wore this butterfly inspired dress to The Greatest Showman movie premiere in Sydney, Australia in 2017. The dress was made by the designer brand Moschino, and features a three dimensional butterfly wing that serves as the neckline, bodice, and part of the skirt. Behind the wing is the rest of the skirt. The dress also has the markings and colors of a monarch butterfly. The dress is paired with simple, black studs for earrings, and simple, black pumps to really make the dress stand out. Zendaya mentioned that this was one of her favorite looks, and she loved how literal the dress was. Compared to the 2015 charity runway, the bright colors and tones are now a staple in the star's wardrobe, but instead of the color being used in a childish way, the color is being used in a more mature way, highlighting how far Zendaya has grown.
One of Zendaya's more recent outfits, this suit was worn at the 2019 Harper's Bazaar Icons Party. Instead of a typical dress, as most female celebrities would wear, Zendaya chose to do a grey, marbled suit. The suit itself consists of a mini trench coat, with small shoulder pads, a collared shirt, a matching tie, and ankle-length pants. Underneath the pants there are black stockings that peek out, and are visible through her shoes, which are black stiletto pumps. Zendaya mentioned that she felt really confident in this suit, and she loved the look and vibe that it gave her. Compared to the 2017 The Greatest Showman Premiere, all the color has left the building, and has been replaced by a more moodier type of color. The grey really suits Zendaya, and gives another branch to her color palette.
Attending her first Emmy Awards in September of 2019, Zendaya wanted to make a big entrance. The dress was made by Vera Wang, who has also designed pieces for other celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez and many more The dress itself is fabricated out of a silky, green material that makes up the flowy skirt, and matching green stilettos. However, the bodice of the dress fashions a corset, with green boning, against her skin. Law skillfully paired this magnificent dress with a large, chunky diamond bracelet, and equally chunky diamond earrings. Zendaya mentioned that when she first saw the sketches or the dress, and she loved it immediately. The color was chosen because Zendaya was obsessed with emerald green, and because it compliments her skin tone really well. Compared to her earlier outfit in 2019, when she attended the Harpers Icons, the color has resurfaced again, but has still kept is moodiness, and maturity. The colors that Zendaya has chosen have developed to suit her skin tone, more than to just have a bright pop of color.
Zendaya's most popular, and well known outfit, was worn at the 2020 Critics Choice Awards. The entire outfit was designed by Tom Forde, and includes the iconic breastplate. Besides the breastplate, the outfit includes a high-rise, floor-length, pink, maxi skirt, that adds dimension to the outfit. The original breastplate that was used did not fit Zendaya the right way, so Tom Forde did a digital scan and created a customized breastplate specially tailored for Zendaya. She mentioned that she had the breastplate framed, because she thought it was so cool. This outfit is a Law creation, and once again he delivered with his vision. Compared to her first Emmy outfit, the bright colors are now layered with a half cold, half warm undertone, and compliments her skin tone extremely well.
Another iconic outfit that was worn by Zendaya was at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival. The dress is tight fitting, and was practically sculpted to her body. The dress also looks like latex, with its rubbery look. The dress itself features a scoop neckline, a layered, cinched bodice, and a thigh-high slit that opens up the dress, and develops into the little trail behind. Law paired this dress with a large silver necklace with an extremely large, chunky emerald that sits in the center, and nude stilettos that match the dress. The dress also matches the theme of Dune, the movie that she played a vital role in. In her interview, Zendaya mentioned that when the collection that this dress was apart of came out, the dress wasn't a dress, it was featured as a corset. Law actually contacted the company that produced the corset, and asked if they could customize it for Zendaya. A lady then came out to her personal residence and took a body cast of Zendaya. Compared to her 2020 outfit, Zendaya expanded her color palette again, adding a nude branch to it. She also kept the element of surprise and exposure with her. The dress itself is iconic, and will always be iconic.
This dress was worn at the 2023 54th NAACP Image Awards. This was actually an outfit change to a white dress that she was wearing earlier. The dress is made out of a black and green matte fabric, with a low v neckline, a medium sized layered trail, and a knee-high slit in the front of the dress. The dress has many green accents, contrasting against her skin color, and the black fabric. Compared to her 2021 Venice International Film Festival outfit, Law has incorporated color back into her palette, but only a small amount to what she has worn in prior years.
Just recently, Zendaya attended the Dune: Part Two movie premiere on February 19, 2024 in the iconic 1995 Mugler Robot Suit. The suit is technically considered a piece of art by fashion goers and experts alike. This situation can be comparable to when Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe's 'Happy Birthday Mr. President' dress to the Met Gala, but without the total destruction of a piece of fashion history. The suit itself has clear plastic fitted in the chest, abdomen, arm, leg and foot area. The original design had a helmet that went with it, but the helmet was considered too dangerous to wear, as there is a large piece of clear fitted plastic over the face with no visible holes for breathing. Compared to the green and black dress, this outfit takes a more futuristic approach, and perfectly matches the theme of Dune: Part Two. Law himself is a creative genius, and has done this for movies that Zendaya has starred in years prior.
All images have been sourced from Instagram, Vogue, or Harper's Bazaar. All credit goes to the photographers and Zendaya.