In the absence of red carpets amidst the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, Zendaya has largely been out of the public eye (at least, in terms of ultra-glam sightings) in recent months. We’ve been left to ponder what could have been. Who knows what she was cooking up with her stylist Law Roach for the now-concluded Venice Film Festival where her movie, Challengers, was supposed to premiere.
It seems like Zendaya must have sensed the public’s thirst for a new fashion moment, though, as she took to Instagram to show off her signature style. But unlike others who would pose in say, jeans and a t-shirt, the actress turned things up a notch or two.
In the pair of snaps, Zendaya posed in a deep red number from Bottega Veneta’s fall/winter 2023 collection. The dress followed a form-fitting shape and tightly contoured the actress’ figure—but things really got interesting thanks to a few sculptural details. Up top, the piece’s plunging neckline was outlined by a padded detail that created an almost wing-like effect as it finished near her shoulders. Things then got tighter as the dress moved towards the waist, ultimately falling into a maxi skirt that was accented by more padded detailing near the hip. “Almost forgot about these,” she captioned the post, causing to question whether this look has been put on hold for now.
The actress decided to go sans jewelry, opting to to slick her hair back and tie it in a bold, matching red lip. And though Zendaya’s post only gave away the top half of her look, we could definitely see her rocking some sort of statement shoe. It also seems that the Bottega Veneta ensemble isn’t the only style that she didn’t have the chance to grace the red carpet in.
Earlier in the week, the 27-year-old showed off another statement-gown, this one from New York brand Collina Strada. The look had a similar billowing skirt as her previous but showed off a bit more skin thanks to an extremely cropped long sleeve that exposed a teeny-tiny silver bra. She also had another matching beauty moment coming in the form of silver eyeshadow.
Though we will presumably have to wait awhile longer for another film-related red carpet appearance from Zendaya, her Instagram posts are keeping us satisfied in the meantime.