26 Reasons Why Zendaya Is an All-Time Style Icon

Mar. 15, 2025

01of 26Kevin Mazur/WireImageShe made the words “formal crop top at the 2022 Oscars” make perfect sense when she hit the red carpet in Valentino.02of 26Barry King/GettyYou know you’ve reached fashion icon status when Michael Keaton holds up your poppin' pink train down the red carpet.03of 26Zendaya at the 2019 Met Gala.Neilson Barnard/GettyShe created magic on the pink carpet when she was a literal princess at the 2019 Met Gala.04of 26David Fisher/REX/ShutterstockArriving with your own"fairy godbrother"— stylist Law Roach — at the Met Gala is a fashion flex we can all aspire to.05of 26Arnold Jerocki/GettySo many stars have worn Valentino pink, but Zendaya (who also modeled in the line’s ad campaign) truly made it her own.06of 26Kevin Mazur/GettyBob Mackiedoesn’t lend his archives to just anyone,dahhhling,but he was as delighted as you were to see her in this vintage emerald and black ballgown. “I was thrilled because I didn’t think she was ever going to wear it,“he toldTown & Country.“You never know with these things, but I loved that.“07of 26Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images For Entertainment WeeklyMarvel at the stunning Dolce & Gabbana gown she arrived in at the 2017 Met Gala (hey,Rihanna did!).08of 26John Salangsang/ShutterstockStrapped in pink Tom Ford armor, Zendaya was ready to slay the 2020 Critics' Choice Awards carpet.09of 26Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty.The envy of all — Zendaya in this jaw-dropping Vera Wang emerald gown at the 2019Emmy Awardsis a fashion moment we’ll be talking about for years.10of 26John Shearer/GettyShe came to conquer the 2018 Met Gala in the chicest chainmail we’ve ever seen.11of 26Jamie McCarthy/GettyZendaya dressed perfectly for the occasion in blue for the 2018 Tiffany & Co. Paper Flowers event in N.Y.C.12of 26Here she is, posing proudly next to her very own billboard(!!), as one does.13of 26Gotham/GC ImagesPairing a red athleisure set with a sleeveless trench? She invented that.14of 26Lisa Maree Williams/GettyShe was the star of her own show when she wore this Moschino butterfly dress to the 2017 premiere ofThe Greatest Showman.15of 26INSTARTwo words: gold trench.That’s it, that’s the caption.16of 26Mike Marsland/BFC/Getty ImagesThe actress made pulling off a star-spangled Vivetta ensemble with two horse heads covering her chest look as easy as wearing a T-shirt and jeans to the 2017 British Fashion Awards.17of 26Only a true style icon can turn a classic black mockneck top and jeans into a fashionmoment.18of 26Crop top, sweats and Uggs — but make it fashion.19of 26Splash NewsThe star was an absolute vision in all white at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in 2017.20of 26Dimitrios Kambouris/GettyThis cut-out queen was breathtakingly beautiful in Michael Kors at the 2016 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards.21of 26Gregg DeGuire/WireImageShe came to slay at theSpider-Man Far From Homepremiere in 2019.22of 26Kristy Sparow/Getty.This plunging neckline? Reserved for icons only.23of 26She makes simple look to die for.24of 26She’s got N.Y.C. street style on lock.25of 26Beretta/Sims/REX/ShutterstockPatterns on patterns don’t scare away this muse.26of 26Christopher Polk/Polk ImagingShe’s giving Lola Bunny realness at the July 2021Space Jampremiere.

01of 26Kevin Mazur/WireImageShe made the words “formal crop top at the 2022 Oscars” make perfect sense when she hit the red carpet in Valentino.

01of 26

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

She made the words “formal crop top at the 2022 Oscars” make perfect sense when she hit the red carpet in Valentino.

02of 26Barry King/GettyYou know you’ve reached fashion icon status when Michael Keaton holds up your poppin' pink train down the red carpet.

02of 26

Barry King/Getty

You know you’ve reached fashion icon status when Michael Keaton holds up your poppin' pink train down the red carpet.

03of 26Zendaya at the 2019 Met Gala.Neilson Barnard/GettyShe created magic on the pink carpet when she was a literal princess at the 2019 Met Gala.

03of 26

Zendaya at the 2019 Met Gala.Neilson Barnard/Getty

She created magic on the pink carpet when she was a literal princess at the 2019 Met Gala.

04of 26David Fisher/REX/ShutterstockArriving with your own"fairy godbrother”— stylist Law Roach — at the Met Gala is a fashion flex we can all aspire to.

04of 26

David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock

Arriving with your own"fairy godbrother”— stylist Law Roach — at the Met Gala is a fashion flex we can all aspire to.

05of 26Arnold Jerocki/GettySo many stars have worn Valentino pink, but Zendaya (who also modeled in the line’s ad campaign) truly made it her own.

05of 26

Arnold Jerocki/Getty

So many stars have worn Valentino pink, but Zendaya (who also modeled in the line’s ad campaign) truly made it her own.

06of 26Kevin Mazur/GettyBob Mackiedoesn’t lend his archives to just anyone,dahhhling,but he was as delighted as you were to see her in this vintage emerald and black ballgown. “I was thrilled because I didn’t think she was ever going to wear it,“he toldTown & Country.“You never know with these things, but I loved that.”

06of 26

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Bob Mackiedoesn’t lend his archives to just anyone,dahhhling,but he was as delighted as you were to see her in this vintage emerald and black ballgown. “I was thrilled because I didn’t think she was ever going to wear it,“he toldTown & Country.“You never know with these things, but I loved that.”

07of 26Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images For Entertainment WeeklyMarvel at the stunning Dolce & Gabbana gown she arrived in at the 2017 Met Gala (hey,Rihanna did!).

07of 26

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images For Entertainment Weekly

Marvel at the stunning Dolce & Gabbana gown she arrived in at the 2017 Met Gala (hey,Rihanna did!).

08of 26John Salangsang/ShutterstockStrapped in pink Tom Ford armor, Zendaya was ready to slay the 2020 Critics' Choice Awards carpet.

08of 26

John Salangsang/Shutterstock

Strapped in pink Tom Ford armor, Zendaya was ready to slay the 2020 Critics' Choice Awards carpet.

09of 26Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty.The envy of all — Zendaya in this jaw-dropping Vera Wang emerald gown at the 2019Emmy Awardsis a fashion moment we’ll be talking about for years.

09of 26

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty.

The envy of all — Zendaya in this jaw-dropping Vera Wang emerald gown at the 2019Emmy Awardsis a fashion moment we’ll be talking about for years.

10of 26John Shearer/GettyShe came to conquer the 2018 Met Gala in the chicest chainmail we’ve ever seen.

10of 26

John Shearer/Getty

She came to conquer the 2018 Met Gala in the chicest chainmail we’ve ever seen.

11of 26Jamie McCarthy/GettyZendaya dressed perfectly for the occasion in blue for the 2018 Tiffany & Co. Paper Flowers event in N.Y.C.

11of 26

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Zendaya dressed perfectly for the occasion in blue for the 2018 Tiffany & Co. Paper Flowers event in N.Y.C.

12of 26Here she is, posing proudly next to her very own billboard(!!), as one does.

12of 26

Here she is, posing proudly next to her very own billboard(!!), as one does.

13of 26Gotham/GC ImagesPairing a red athleisure set with a sleeveless trench? She invented that.

13of 26

Gotham/GC Images

Pairing a red athleisure set with a sleeveless trench? She invented that.

14of 26Lisa Maree Williams/GettyShe was the star of her own show when she wore this Moschino butterfly dress to the 2017 premiere ofThe Greatest Showman.

14of 26

Lisa Maree Williams/Getty

She was the star of her own show when she wore this Moschino butterfly dress to the 2017 premiere ofThe Greatest Showman.

15of 26INSTARTwo words: gold trench.That’s it, that’s the caption.

15of 26

INSTAR

Two words: gold trench.

That’s it, that’s the caption.

16of 26Mike Marsland/BFC/Getty ImagesThe actress made pulling off a star-spangled Vivetta ensemble with two horse heads covering her chest look as easy as wearing a T-shirt and jeans to the 2017 British Fashion Awards.

16of 26

Mike Marsland/BFC/Getty Images

The actress made pulling off a star-spangled Vivetta ensemble with two horse heads covering her chest look as easy as wearing a T-shirt and jeans to the 2017 British Fashion Awards.

17of 26Only a true style icon can turn a classic black mockneck top and jeans into a fashionmoment.

17of 26

Only a true style icon can turn a classic black mockneck top and jeans into a fashionmoment.

18of 26Crop top, sweats and Uggs — but make it fashion.

18of 26

Crop top, sweats and Uggs — but make it fashion.

19of 26Splash NewsThe star was an absolute vision in all white at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in 2017.

19of 26

Splash News

The star was an absolute vision in all white at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in 2017.

20of 26Dimitrios Kambouris/GettyThis cut-out queen was breathtakingly beautiful in Michael Kors at the 2016 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards.

20of 26

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

This cut-out queen was breathtakingly beautiful in Michael Kors at the 2016 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards.

21of 26Gregg DeGuire/WireImageShe came to slay at theSpider-Man Far From Homepremiere in 2019.

21of 26

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

She came to slay at theSpider-Man Far From Homepremiere in 2019.

22of 26Kristy Sparow/Getty.This plunging neckline? Reserved for icons only.

22of 26

Kristy Sparow/Getty.

This plunging neckline? Reserved for icons only.

23of 26She makes simple look to die for.

23of 26

She makes simple look to die for.

24of 26She’s got N.Y.C. street style on lock.

24of 26

She’s got N.Y.C. street style on lock.

25of 26Beretta/Sims/REX/ShutterstockPatterns on patterns don’t scare away this muse.

25of 26

Beretta/Sims/REX/Shutterstock

Patterns on patterns don’t scare away this muse.

26of 26Christopher Polk/Polk ImagingShe’s giving Lola Bunny realness at the July 2021Space Jampremiere.

26of 26

Christopher Polk/Polk Imaging

She’s giving Lola Bunny realness at the July 2021Space Jampremiere.

source: people.com