With an elaborate headdress, naturally.
No one does themed dressing quite like Zendaya. Case in point? In the past two months alone, the style icon has delivered back-to-back masterclasses in method dressing with her Dune and Challengers press tour looks. And for fashion’s biggest night, she nailed it again.
The Euphoria star made a show-stopping return to the Met Gala following a five-year hiatus, and for her interpretation of the night’s dress code, “The Garden of Time,” the star dressed like a literal peacock in a gown from Maison Margiela Couture. The tulle mermaid skirt featured green-and-blue stripes, while the midsection was made up of a shimmering green bustier layered under blue chiffon that wrapped around one shoulder and created a structural adornment down her back. The piece was embellished with ornate appliqués that included grapes, leaves, birds, and the actress completed the look with a matching fascinator with a green fishnet veil and a singular tall and skinny feather. She accessorized with asymmetric earrings that included one green stud and a coordinating diamond and emerald drop earring.
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The star, who never does anything halfway, matched her glam to her whimsical look, opting for ultra-thin Josephine Baker-brows, rose-colored eyeshadow up to her brows and below her eye, smudged liner, and a deep purple lip. Zendaya opted for a low bun under her campy headpiece.
To add to the allure, Zendaya, pulled off the ensemble in just 48 hours. In a May 2 interview with The New York Times (just four days out from the event), Zendaya’s longtime stylist Law Roach revealed that her dress wasn’t even ready yet. “I haven’t seen Zendaya’s dress…The dress isn’t even made. They won’t fit until Saturday,” he said.
But, when you’re this good, time isn’t an obstacle—like, at all. The style duo even found time yesterday, at the pre-Met Gala co-chair dinner, to give fans a little taste of the sartorial flair Zendaya would be bringing to the big event. There, she looked dreamy in an archival piece from John Galliano’s 1998 spring/summer collection, sourced by Roach from Aralda Vintage, a Los Angeles vintage store. The angelic white gown featured sheer panels along the high neckline and low asymmetrical back that were covered in delicate pink florals and butterflies—the perfect precursor for what came tonight.
Zendaya's appearance has been highly anticipated since she was announced as one of this year's co-chairs, alongside fellow fashion heavy hitters Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth.
She last attended the gala in 2019 for the "Camp: Notes on Fashion" exhibition, where she went full princess in a Cinderella-inspired creation by Tommy Hilfiger. But it wasn't just any ballgown; the glowing dress mesmerizingly transformed from grey to blue with one stroke of Roach's Fairy Godmother wand.
The year before, she served up another unforgettable look, that time embodying the 2018 dress code, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” She channeled Joan of Arc in a sparkling silver Versace dress made to look like armor, but with a sexy twist, courtesy of a leg slit and cutouts along her chest and shoulders.