Zendaya is making fashion history on the red carpet Morgan Evans, USA TODAYTue, July 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM UTC 0 No one does a press tour quite like Zendaya. In one of her busiest years, with backtoback releases, the star has shown the world how she makes the red carpet her runway. With the styling help of her longtime friend and image architect Law Roach, Zendaya kicked off her year with her movie "The Drama," creating a string of edgy "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue" looks to match its (disastrous) wedding theme.
Zendaya is making fashion history on the red carpet
Morgan Evans, USA TODAYTue, July 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM UTC
0
No one does a press tour quite like Zendaya. In one of her busiest years, with back-to-back releases, the star has shown the world how she makes the red carpet her runway.
With the styling help of her longtime friend and image architect Law Roach, Zendaya kicked off her year with her movie "The Drama," creating a string of edgy "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue" looks to match its (disastrous) wedding theme. But it's been her press tours for "The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" where she has really shined, taking the concept of method dressing to the next level.
You'd think Zendaya fatigue might have set in, but each look is new, on theme and often unexpected. And while it can seem, from a simplistic view, like an actress playing dress-up, what you're really witnessing is a connoisseur of fashion exploring the medium as a true art form. It's intentional storytelling and a combination of craft and culture uniquely derived from Zendaya's and Roach's unparalleled creative connection.
"Part of doing the press stuff and trying to make the clothes intentional is not just trying to pay homage but giving little trails of ideas and thoughts," Zendaya said in a recent interview with De Estreno. "And maybe it's true! Maybe it's confusing! That's the fun of it!"
As we await whatever the dynamic duo has in store for "Dune: Part Three" this fall, we're revisiting all the looks that captivated us, with a breakdown of reasons why Zendaya's 2026 summer press tour will stand the test of time.
Custom and fresh-off-the-runway looks
If there is anyone who has mastered the art of the runway pull, it's Zendaya and Roach. To kick off "The Odyssey" press tour at the film's London photo call on Sunday, July 5, the actress donned a custom Jacquemus ivory column dress with an attached head scarf inspired by the silhouettes from the designer's spring/summer 2027 collection. Channeling the spirit of ancient Greece, the star accessorized the look with something old: a pair of 1st Millennium gold ancient disks, owned byBarron London, mounted into earrings with 18-carat gold and diamonds by designer Glenn Spiro.
The next day, for "The Odyssey" London premiere, Zendaya wore a structural Schiaparelli gown plucked straight from Daniel Roseberry’s fall/winter 2026 collection. The actress literally lit up the red carpet in the dress, which featured a sculpted, glazed, porcelain-effect white breastplate with a signature Schiaparelli lace-up back and an LED-illuminated skirt made of cascading beaded fringe in a white and silver ombré. She topped off her Greek sculpture-inspired look with an 88-carat Chopard collar necklace and an ethereal halo braid hairstyle.
The look redefined "new": Not only did was Zendaya the first to wear one of the illuminated Schiaparelli sheaths on the red carpet, she did so just hours after the look went down the runway at Paris Couture Week. In an interview backstage at the Schiaparelli show, Roach explained that he was on a mission to pick up the dress and bring it to London in time for Zendaya to wear it to the premiere that same evening. (All with the help of a private jet, of course).
Inspired pulls from the archives
Zendaya's press tours balance those fresh looks with a deep dive into the archives to revive vintage pieces, utilizing. Roach's deep knowledge of historical fashion.
One example is her Audrey Hepburn-esque dress for "The Odyssey" Paris photo call, designed by Alexander McQueen for Givenchy's haute couture spring/summer 1997 collection, featuring a high neck with exaggerated pagoda sleeves and padded shoulders.
Zendaya and Roach were also able to source the ornate gold face mask designed by Philip Treacy that was originally worn with the dress on the runway. The actress turned heads when she arrived, perfectly mirroring the Eiffel Tower behind her.
Later, for "Odyssey" press in New York, Zendaya sported a white, plunge-neck Alberta Ferretti mini dress from the spring/summer 2008 collection, featuring airy pleats and embellished with silver fringe down the front. She accessorized the look with knee-high Webster caged sandals for a full gladiator-inspired look.
For "Spider Man," in which Zendaya stars with husband Tom Holland, she and Roach successfully sourced multiple cobweb-clad dresses. The actress channeled her inner "Kiss of the Spider Woman" in everything from a form-fitting, chiffon-webbed gown from Versace's spring/summer 2016 collection to a black, cap-sleeved 1940s cocktail dress embellished with a glittering silver spider web — a true vintage treasure.
But two standout archival looks had the internet and fans everywhere abuzz. For the film's Rome premiere photo call on June 23, Zendaya was on-theme in a beaded spider web-embellished gown from Armani's spring/summer 1990 collection, accessorized with dangling Tiffany & Co. diamonds. A few days later, Holland and Zendaya attended the film's London photo call in complementary dark looks. Zendaya wowed in a celestial-patterned navy-and-black slip-style dress from John Galliano's spring/summer 1997 collection, which featured a dazzling, beaded spider web design, dripping embellishments that sprawled across the star's back.
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Surprise high-low moments
In June, the star turned heads when she walked the carpet of a Paris photo call in an oversized, black Spider-Man graphic tee sans pants. Roach later revealed on Instagram that the men's 2XL tee (styled like a boxy mini dress) was purchased on eBay for a mere $34.99, showing the world the fashion doesn't always have to be expensive. Adding her favorite white Louboutin heels, Zendaya created a high-low look that will go down in history.
The two-dress 'rule'
In the words of Roach, "there's always two dresses." At the "Odyssey" premiere in London, the star swapped her illuminated Schiaparelli creation for a draped Valentino gown inspired by the Garden of Eden, featuring a leafy bustier and straps.
A week later, ahead of the New York premiere, the star was snapped leaving her hotel in a flowing, nude gown from Pamela Rolland, featuring a sweetheart neckline and draped bodice with breezy chiffon layers. But for the red carpet, she turned to provocative Canadian brand Matières Fécales' heavenly “Ange” dress, which brought both the drama and the romance.
The ruched, feather-trimmed gown featured a plunge, strapless sweetheart neckline with a thigh-high slit and a set of feathered wings seamlessly blending with the dress's billowing train. Last spring, after Roach saw it close the brand's debut fall 2025 show, he asked Matières Fécales’ designers Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran to hold the dress for Zendaya to debut on the red carpet nearly two years later.
The actress topped off the overall look with a whimsical undone braid and a barely-there Prada Beauty makeup look by Ernesto Casillas that revived the "no mascara" conversation online.
The entire look was a curated goddess moment, from the drop diamond Chopard earrings down to the heeless shoes, which were a design collaboration from Matières Fécales and Christian Louboutin, featuring a traditional pointed-toe front with a sculptural wedge back creating the illusion of an invisible heel.
Stories told through color
Whites and neutrals reigned supreme in the star's Odyssey press tour wardrobe. The star successfully channelled her inner Greek goddess in a series of whimsical looks that were worthy of Athena (not to mention a nod to the star's bridal era, as she and Holland only recently confirmed they were married). It wasn't just the Scharparelli, Jacquemus and the Matières Fécales dresses but also a romantic lace Louis Vuitton ensemble in Paris. At the end of the tour, Zendaya added splashes of gold to the mix, shining in looks like a 2013 Zuhair Murad skirt suit.
For "Spider-Man," the actress kept to a black, red and/or blue color scheme, mirroring the famous superhero's webbed costume while also coordinating with Holland.
When she wasn't sporting spider web motifs, she evoked a vampy aesthetic in dark looks, like her Morticia Addams-inspired Ashi Studio black gown equipped with black lace applique and floor-length-fringe sleeves. And who can forget her black leather Louis Vuitton outfit, which featured a cropped vest top with a matching, form-fitting maxi skirt.
For a photo call in Berlin, the star sported a vintage varsity in a red jersey shirt tucked into a plaid pencil skirt from Coach's fall/winter 2026 ready-to-wear collection. A day later in Rome, Zendaya sparkled in a Versace red-and-blue, color-block chainmail top and skirt set from the brand's fall/winter 1997 collection.
But the star saved her best look for last. At the Los Angeles premiere on Monday, July 27, Zendaya once again turned to Ashi Studio for a dramatic Black Widow-inspired look.
The star wowed in a black satin gown featuring a structural plunge corset with a ruched asymmetrical skirt and flowing train. The star accented the couture look with art deco Boucheron earrings and custom Louboutin pumps embellished with a crystal spider on the toe and another on the back of the heel. Zendaya elevated her vampy ensemble with a dark Prada Beauty smokey eye look and a slicked-back ponytail featuring spider-y bangs that framed her face.
Zendaya and Roach's fashions are the stuff of legends. And just like "The Odyssey," her most recent press tours will be forever epic.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zendaya is making fashion history on the red carpet
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Published: July 29, 2026 at 12:10AM on Source: RED MAG
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