At 29, Zendaya proves that style is not about trends but about timeless storytelling through clothes
How often does one see a young starlet effortlessly
embody the essence of Old Hollywood, the spirit of ’90s supermodels, and the futuristic boldness of avant-garde couture—all within a few years? With Zendaya, this is not an exception but the norm. On her 29th birthday, it is worth pausing to ask: how did a Disney alumna transform herself into fashion’s most daring archivist, rewriting the rulebook with every red-carpet appearance?
Zendaya, alongside her visionary stylist Law Roach, has made vintage fashion her canvas. Together, they have reimagined the past not as nostalgia, but as a living, breathing dialogue between eras. Her sartorial journey has not just been about clothes—it has been about reclaiming history, honouring icons, and amplifying identity.
Zendaya paying homage to Beyoncé at the 2021 BET awards pic.twitter.com/BtF0FfYarv
— 🐝 𐚁 ⋆ (@beyoncescunt26) August 25, 2024
Credit: @beyoncescunt26
When Beyoncé met Zendaya: Versace Spring/Summer 2003
At the 2021 BET Awards, Zendaya wore a reinterpretation of Beyoncé’s iconic mini-dress from Versace’s SS03 collection. This tribute was more than just fashion—it was a celebration of life. By choosing a floor-length version of the same design, Zendaya connected generations of Black excellence, recognising Beyoncé as the queen while also asserting her own claim to the throne.
Zendaya wearing Maison Valentino ss1992 for euphoria photocall 🖤 pic.twitter.com/k0zeR5JHuo
— Emmi | is watching smallville 💌 (@happyfionn) June 19, 2024
Credit: @happyfionn
Stripes, statues, and supermodels: Valentino 1992
For the Euphoria season two photocall in 2022, Zendaya evoked the era of 90s supermodels with a black-and-white Valentino gown once worn by Linda Evangelista. It was a look that suggested sculptural drama, elegance, and reinvention—proof that fashion history, when revisited with reverence, remains timeless.
Credit: @aemisias
An ode to villains: Roberto Cavalli fall/winter 2000
Zendaya has always been known for narrative dressing. At the Ballon d’Or ceremony in 2021, she wore a Cavalli gown featuring a skeletal gold spine. Fans immediately associated the look with Spider-Man’s archenemy, Doctor Octopus—a playful yet clever nod during her Spider-Man: No Way Home press tour. This was fashion as allegory, a storytelling device as powerful as cinema itself.
Zendaya looks stunning at the NAACP Image Awards. https://t.co/JAcEviIyFR pic.twitter.com/4DX0RRlQlJ
— Variety (@Variety) February 26, 2023
Credit: @Variety
Hollywood remembered: Balmain couture 1956
At the 2022 NAACP Image Awards, Zendaya delved into the Balmain archives. She appeared in a 1956 couture gown that sparkled with Old Hollywood allure. More than just a red-carpet moment, it was a revival of glamour, as if Elizabeth Taylor’s spirit had returned for a fleeting encore.
Credit: LLE
Carrying legacies: Yves Saint Laurent 1982
In 2021, at the Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood Awards, Zendaya wore a silk YSL gown once owned by trailblazer Eunice W. Johnson. This was not just fashion — it was an act of remembrance, honouring the woman who gave Black designers and models a global platform through the Ebony Fashion Fair. That night, the gown spoke as loudly as any speech could.
today exactly marks (25th april 2023) 2 years ago @Zendaya were seen outside, on red carpet and onstage at the warner bros’ ⊃∪∩⪽ part two during cinemacon in las vegas, nevada and btw Zendaya did her own makeup for the event 🥹😍🩶 pic.twitter.com/n5uo0duXJ1
— Zendaya Fan Account🇵🇸 (@zendayacomz) April 25, 2025
Credit: @zendayacomz
Leather and lace: Versace Fall/Winter 2001
Finally, at CinemaCon in 2023, Zendaya stunned in a leather-and-lace Versace outfit that had previously been worn by Karolina Kurkova in 2001. With Bulgari jewellery glinting at her collarbone, Zendaya made the archival piece her own, a reminder that even fashion’s boldest statements can be reinvented with subtle elegance.
More than style—an attitude
At 29, Zendaya is not just a style icon; she is a guardian of fashion’s cultural memory. She wears history not as a costume but as a dialogue, reviving forgotten masterpieces and anchoring them in the present. Her wardrobe choices teach us a lesson worth recalling: fashion is not merely about what you wear—it is about the stories you dare to carry with you.
