Following what I would term a gradual lull in the Hollywood industry, the past week saw the internet buzzing once again. Not surprisingly, out of the many faces that will be gracing the screen with their presence in the coming months, Zendaya seems to have taken the cake of it all. Starring in not one, not two, not three, but four potential box office hits, Zendaya is no doubt going down in history as one of the greats. Out of her many movies, The Drama, co-starring Robert Pattinson, appears to be held in quite a high regard. Perceived as a beacon of hope for the revival of cinema culture, The Drama ultimately aims to question the limits of unconditional love, and, to no oneâs surprise, Zendaya is certainly not holding back with her premiere looks.Â
May I suggest white for the bride?
Iâm sure most of you have heard several rumours, some of which I hope are true, about Zendaya playing an engaged couple in her movie, but a married one in real life. While everyone seems tight-lipped about such events, her cascading off-white premiere look for The Drama might hint at something more. However, one such outfit caught the eyes of many. Spotted re-wearing her 2015 Oscar red-carpet Vivienne Westwood off-the-shoulder bridal gown, Zendaya brought back a moment that inevitably placed her as a key player on the Hollywood roadmap.
A nod to the melodrama and the movie’s core theme, Zendaya went on to comment on her very intentional outfit choice for the premiere. She stated that after several brainstorming sessions with her exceptional stylist, Law Roach, this dress embodied the notion of the saying, âSomething old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.â And this 2015 bridal dress, worn by Zendaya when she was just 18, symbolised her âsomething old.âÂ
a controversy to go alongside the dress
However, this wasnât the first time Zendaya made headlines wearing this very dress, and unfortunately, the last time wasnât as sweet. She recently told Vogue that her 2015 Oscar appearance was just an opportunity that she opened up for herself, since, as a matter of fact, she didnât have enough credentials to be on the carpet. But her hair and make-up had taken hours that went on through the night, and so, in her words, âI kind of just shimmied on there.â
What was supposed to be her big break into the industry was met with a racially charged sentiment that created a completely distorted image of not only Zendaya but also an entire community. The comment made by a red carpet correspondent for E! News about Zendayaâs dreadlocks, stating, âI feel like she smells of patchouli oil and weed,â was not only racist but also an inappropriate comment targeting an eighteen-year-old at the time. In turn, this singular comment not only drew attention away from the aspiring young actress and her own merits but also made this solely about Zendayaâs race. Encouraging a long-standing racial stereotype about the Black community, Zendayaâs once pristine Vivienne Westwood bridal dress was now marked with cultural misrepresentation.
Zendaya Bites Back
Zendaya was never one to go quietly, and her response on Instagram certainly addressed the controversy without sugarcoating any of the facts.Â
Stating, âto say that an 18-year-old young woman with locs must smell of patchouli oil or âweedâ is not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive. I donât usually feel the need to respond to negative things, but certain remarks cannot go unchecked.â
As such, a simple dress meant to shine on the red carpet revealed different layers of the outfit, not just serving as a fashion statement but highlighting the constant prejudice we, as a society, uphold. By bringing the dress out of the closet once more, Zendaya strategically plays into the movie’s thematic elements while simultaneously uplifting her cultural identity. This time around, Zendaya was not bombarded with controversy over the dress; rather, she was praised for repeating and reusing an outfit that ultimately stood the test of time.
Zendaya served both fashion and culture on the carpet
The Drama premiere played into a new age of romcoms while also serving as an ode to cultural elements stitched into fashion statements. Bringing the iconic Vivienne Westwood dress back to life, Zendaya opened up yet another conversation about the stereotypes indoctrinated into society that somehow persist today. It raises the question of why her 2015 Oscars look raised questions simply because of the actress’s dreadlocks, while her appearance wearing the same dress with a sleek, short hair moment received praise instead.Â
The difference is quite evident and needs to be acknowledged. This dress tells the story of Zendaya’s journey – from the beginning of her career to finding her voice as she became a major name in the Hollywood industry. So, going against Sharpay Evans’ motto (another Disney star alongside Zendaya), itâs out with the new and in with the old instead.Â