by Alisha Bissessur
At the young age of 26, Zendaya is already the face of a whole generation. With her accomplished history in the acting industry, she has also found herself to be of fashion icon status.
Honestly, who could ever forget the iconic Cinderella dress at the 2019 Met Gala, or her Balmain wet-look leather dress at the premiere of Dune, or even her unforgettable fuchsia breastplate at the 2021 Critics Choice Awards?
After keeping a low profile for months, she was impossible to miss dressed in head-to-toe tiger print for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Musée D’Orsay’ FW23/24 Paris Fashion Week show. Marking her first fashion outing of the season, Zendaya hadn’t been spotted on a front row since Valentino in October 2022.
Her attendance strongly suggests that the Euphoria star is deepening her relationship with the brand. Photos of her and Emma Stone, an LV ambassador since 2017, and further photo ops went viral after the show. Most notably, her almost serious posed image with Pharrell Williams - the freshly appointed LV Creative Director, the first to follow on from Virgil Abloh who passed in November 2021.
Zendaya further stated that she adored the new collection, describing the show as “cinematic” and “beautiful” in the post-runway interview. The Emmy award-winning star also went on to highlight her favourite looks, describing that she loved their masculine silhouettes.
Her confidence and poise speak for themselves, making it impossible not to notice her in any industry from acting to fashion.
Since 2020, Zendaya has made unforgettable appearances at premieres dressed fully in Valentino. Looks include the custom spiderweb dress for the ‘No Way Home’ premiere, as well as the cutout bright stunning dress at the 93 annual Academy Awards.
In fact, the star has developed a reputation for matching her looks to her show or movie during their premiere. A very tasteful acknowledgement of her dedication to the craft.
Zendaya bloomed in a hot pink and unapologetically bold Valentino suit. It took the FW22/23 Fashion Week season by storm, cementing the fact that she was fearless with her style while playing a large role in solidifying the Valentino Pink PP Collection as one for the history books.
Pierpaolo Piccioli, the Creative Director of Valentino with a reputation for taking risks in his work, described Zendaya as being the “perfect muse” for this bold monochrome look.
Simply put, her presence is a force for international brand recognition - which would explain why LVMH want her. Willing to poach a celebrity of her magnitude as their new brand ambassador, this direction ties to Louis Vuitton’s subtle rebrand and obvious attempts to reconnect with the next generation of designer fans. This is a goal that would be easily achievable through a partnership with Zendaya.
Those flawless looks, however, would not have come to exist without one and only Law Roach. The self-professed “image architect”, began his career styling Zendaya and, whilst still known for this relationship, has gone on to develop the style of other key names including Anya Taylor-Joy.
Throughout Zendaya’s demographic shift, Roach transformed the A-list actress from a Disney star to a red-carpet icon. The actress was the first major client of Roach’s, who she came across at the young age of 14.
Despite the recent controversy bubbling between Louis Vuitton and Law Roach, it has been clarified that he will continue working alongside Zendaya despite his recent retirement.
“We are forever”, writes Law Roach in one of his tweets, honouring his promise to Zendaya to always be elevating each others’ careers.
We can only continue to expect the Euphoria star to keep stealing the spotlight as her relationship with Louis Vuitton develops. With Roach by her side, her future ensembles with Louis Vuitton are not going to disappoint.
Indeed, with her movies Dune: Part Two, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers and Finestkind all set to be released this year, it’s clear 2023 is all about Z.
edited by Emily Duff