2023 has proven a banner year in Zendaya’s America, as the actress’s acclaimed performances and normie dates with boyfriend Tom Holland flooded headlines on a regularly scheduled rinse-and-repeat cycle. But perhaps nothing has captured social-media chatter like the Euphoria star’s wardrobe, curated with the expert eye of stylist Law Roach and generating almost universal acclaim—a rarity amongst fashion critics, who tend to savor the misses almost as much as the hits in VIP dressing. Even Zendaya’s smaller gigs make for a sartorial gift, as was evident during Sunday’s Euphoria FYC event in Los Angeles, for which the actress slipped into a checkered Schiaparelli skirt, black pumps, and a pearl-buttoned polo.
The look was a smart fusion of ’50s Hollywood-meets-prep school, styled with the actress’s smooth reddish-brown bob, a pink lip, and minimal jewelry. She posed for photos with Euphoria castmates Maude Apatow, Hunter Schafer, and Sydney Sweeney, who opted for edgier pieces: asymmetrical gowns, chunky platform boots, and knee-high socks. Beside them, Zendaya looked perfectly—and I do mean perfectly—out of place.
During the Q&A event, part of the cast’s efforts to generate buzz for Euphoria during awards season, Zendaya also spoke to the HBO show’s third season. She told audiences her one wish for her character, Rue, “is literally just to be able to be alive and maybe enjoy it.”
“And I know that she can do it because Sam wrote it, and Sam is Rue, and he’s done it,” she added, nodding to the fact that Rue is partially based off of creator Sam Levinson’s battle with addiction. “He’s proof that there is hope for Rue and anyone like Rue, and from the beautiful letters and people who have reached out—I am so grateful for those experiences when somebody comes up to me, and they speak about Rue and how they’ve connected to her or whatever part of their healing journey she has been able to be a part of.”
Associate Editor
Lauren Puckett-Pope is an associate editor at ELLE, where she covers film, TV, books and fashion.