Zendaya's best dresses: From the Emmys to the Met Gala, all of the Spiderman star's greatest hits

Including her stunning green Emmys gown 
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Megan C. Hills28 January 2020

If you scroll through a list of the best dressed stars in recent years, there's one name you're bound to come across frequently: Zendaya.

The Euphoria star and unexpected Twitter sensation has continued to push fashion boundaries with her celebrity stylist Law Roach, who she has worked with since 2011. From sleek, glittering silhouettes to sculptural masterpieces, the 22-year-old star has become a sartorial force to reckon with.

Zendaya's eclectic wardrobe is a mix of carefully curated designers, which have shifted as her sense of style has evolved. In her earlier years, she tended to favour pieces by the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Fausto Puglisi and Emanuel Ungaro. In recent years, she's turned to high profile designers, including British fashion designer Ralph & Russo and Zuhair Murad.

Zendaya wearing Ralph & Russo
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Naturally, the fact that she starred in Brunos Mars' Versace on the Floor video put her in good stead with the luxury designer and led to one of the most inventive Met Gala dresses of all time: a chainmail creation which channelled Joan of Arc. That's not to mention her other jaw-dropping Met Gala gowns, which earned her a standing invitation to Vogue editor Anna Wintour's biggest party of the year.

Zendaya wearing Fausto Puglisi to the Met Gala
Getty Images

Zendaya has also helped raise the profile of a number of smaller brands, returning to the likes of August Getty Atelier and Italian brand Vivetta, most notably when she wore a bedazzled pantsuit to a Young Hollywood event in 2017.

Zendaya wearing Vivetta
AFP/Getty Images

Her style transformation has been fascinating to watch, starting with her adorable years wearing denim jackets over tulle dresses in 2014 through to her sophisticated Alexis Mabille couture gown at the Lancome Toast Women in Hollywood earlier this February. Naturally, no true style journey is without its occasional lows - let's agree to never talk about her Pharrell hat phase ever again.

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Whether she's dripping in metallic chains or opting for sculptural masterpieces, Zendaya exemplifies what it is to be a style icon - to continue pushing boundaries while remaining true to one's sense of style. Read on for a list of her biggest fashion highlights...

Who is Zendaya’s stylist?

Zendaya wearing Ralph & Russo
Getty Images

Zendaya works with heavyweight celebrity stylist Law Roach, whose current client list includes haute couture queen Celine Dion and "7 Rings" singer Ariana Grande. In 2017, he was named one of the most powerful stylists in the world by The Hollywood Reporter and posed on the cover alongside Celine and Zendaya.

He and Zendaya have become close friends after working together for eight years. He told Teen Vogue, “Zendaya is more of an annoying little sister than just a client. She’s also my fashion soul mate. Our relationship has a very give and take [dynamic].”

Zendaya wearing Zuhair Murad
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Law explained that he and Zendaya don’t always see eye to eye, but that she has come to trust him and his choices. He continued, “Sometimes she doesn’t always love the final choice, but we have this thing where we compromise...We haven’t made that many mistakes so she’s kind of stuck into trusting me, so it’s a beautiful relationship.”

Zendaya's Critic's Choice Awards Dress

Zendaya wearing Tom Ford Spring 2020
Getty Images

At the 2020 Critic's Choice Awards Zendaya opted for a hot pink ensemble from Tom Ford's Spring 2020 collection. The look was comprised of a moulded asymmetrical fuchsia top, which had a similar look to Wonder Woman's armour, and a breezy maxi skirt in the same colour.

The Euphoria star's stylist Law shared to Instagram that the look was reminiscent of the vintage Issey Miyake and Yves Saint Laurent breast plate design from the 1980s. Law went on to refer to Zendaya as a "Warrior Woman" in another Instagram story post.

The bright look was instantly a hit online, especially with Gwyneth Paltrow who had worn the exact top in a recent Harpers Bazaar cover shoot.

Paltrow commented on a picture of Zendaya in the outfit, writing, “Thank God I can say I have something in common with Zendaya.”

Zendaya's Emmys dress

At the 2019 Emmys, Zendaya opted for a gorgeous green gown that was quite the showstopper. Designed by Vera Wang, her stylist Law Roach revealed on Instagram that it was inspired by the supervillain Poison Ivy and the iconic film The Wiz.

Invision/AP

At the Emmys after party, she changed into a sweet white and pink floral dress by Alexandre Vauthier for a major change of speed - paired with Christian Louboutin heels.

Zendaya and Michael B. Jordan's suit

(Getty Images for Harper's BAZAAR)
Getty Images for Harper's BAZAAR

While Zendaya isn't short of gorgeous gowns, she gave the men a run for their money in a pristine Berluti suit when she attended the Harper's Bazaar Icons party. It didn't take long before the internet to point out that actor Michael B. Jordan (who is also always impeccably dressed) had worn the exact same one earlier that year.

In a comparison post on The Shade Room's Instagram account, they asked, "They both served looks but who did it best?"

Leaving no room for doubt, Michael B. Jordan commented on it, "@zendaya hands down no contest."

Zendaya’s Greatest Showman dress

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Zendaya channelled the spirit of her character Anne Wheeler in The Greatest Showman and stepped out in a series of truly theatrical dresses over the course of the press tour. The undisputed highlight was her Moschino butterfly-print gown which she wore in Australia, which was elevated by her vintage-inspired finger waves and striking orange eyeshadow.

Zendaya’s Met Gala dresses

Getty Images for New York Magazi

Zendaya has become a permanent fixture at the Met Gala, frequently topping the list of best-dressed stars at the event. In recent years, she’s held her own against celebrities pushing the boundaries of fashion including Rihanna, Cara Delevingne and Blake Lively.

Her dress at the 2018 Met Gala scored points for being one of the most imaginative on the carpet, pushing the theme of the Catholic imagination to its limits. She appeared dripping in silver chain mail, envisioned as a modern-day Joan of Arc in occasion wear armor made by Versace.

Wearing Dolce & Gabbana

She stunned at the 2017 Met Gala, wearing a sweeping Dolce & Gabbana dress covered in florals and parrots.

Law Roach spoke of her golden one-shouldered Michael Kors look at the 2016 Met Gala. It turns out that they both clashed on her striking bowl cut hair, a fiercely modern style which helped sell that year’s theme, Manus x Machina: Fashion in the Age of Technology.

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He said, “She questioned it up until it was done. She kept saying, ‘Is this right? Are you sure?’ And I told her, ‘I promise you, I’ve dreamt about it, I’ve seen it already, it’s right, it’s the only thing that will work, it’s perfect.’”

The bet paid off as he said, “That look was insane, and she got so much press for beauty and glam, as much as the whole look. So it worked.”

Zendaya’s Versace on the Floor dress

Zendaya starred in the music video for the Bruno Mars single "Versace on the Floor" last year. She and Bruno Mars were decked out in custom Versace for the video and Zendaya wore a gold mini dress with fluted sleeves, which appears to be made from the exact same material as her Met Gala gown.

Although she may have thrown the dress on the floor by the end of the video, it was too gorgeous a piece not to pick back up again.

Zendaya’s 2018 dresses

(Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.)
Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.

Last year Zendaya delivered style hit after style hit. Early on in May, she showed up for an event with Tiffany & Co and every element of her outfit was on point. From her sleek black headband to her polka-dot pointed shoes, her sculptural powder blue Dice Kayek Couture dress was both parts delicate and refreshingly modern.

We’ve already touched on the Joan of Arc dress she wore to the Met Gala. In fact, her stylist Law Roach posted a behind-the-scenes video of the dress which showed off just how much it glittered - something that isn’t immediately apparent from the photographs. He said, “Thank you again @Versace for making my dream a reality.”

Getty Images for MTV

She returned to one of her favourite designers August Getty Atelier for another impressive look, this time featuring a sculptural mini skirt.

Another highlight of 2018 was her feathered Marc Jacobs dress which appeared to float as she moved - Kylie Jenner then wore the same look on the cover of Architectural Digest.

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