She’s back! After a five-year hiatus, Zendaya has officially graced the Met Gala red carpet once again—as one of the evening’s five co-chairs, nonetheless—in a dramatic referential look that nailed the night’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
Zendaya, fresh off the premiere of her tennis flick Challengers, stepped out to the Museum of Metropolitan Art in a custom gown from Maison Margiela. Her dress, inspired by Margiela designer John Galliano’s spring 1999 couture collection for Dior, featured a sweetheart neckline that was accented by a one-shoulder sash detail. After cinching the actress’s waist, the gown flowed into a flared, statement mermaid-style skirt complete with gradated stripes. Bustles of various flora and fauna (and the odd grape) placed at the actress’s waist nodded to the 1962 J.G. Ballard short story “The Garden of Time” which partially inspired the night’s dress code.
For some extra oomph, the actress paired her look with a sculptural headpiece by Stephen Jones and ’20s-inspired hair and makeup by none other than Pat McGrath. Though you can’t see them, Zendaya even switched out her usual “So Kate” heels for a pair of Margiela’s signature Tabis pumps instead.
Per usual, Zendaya worked the red carpet like it was her own personal runway as she showed off each and every angle of this Margiela stunner. Fittingly, just yesterday, Zendaya sported another ’90s Galliano dress while out in New York City.
Zendaya last attended the Met Gala in 2019, themed “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” when she shut down the red carpet in a light-up Tommy Hilfiger princess dress. The actress has also produced some jaw-dropping moments during fashion’s night out—like 2018’s Joan of Arc chainmail dress and the maximalist Dolce & Gabbana gown she wore the year prior—but has missed out on the past five editions for both personal and professional reasons. Zendaya likely chose to skip out on the 2023 gala because of press obligations for her recently-released film Dune: Part Two. In 2022, the actress explained her absence by saying “Your girl’s gotta work and make some movies.”
The actress is among the 2024 Met Gala’s five co-chairs—alongside Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour—which explains her early arrival to the event. Shou Chew, the chief executive of TikTok, and Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson are “honorary chairs.”
As the night progresses, Zendaya is sure to hit up the city’s after-party circuit. It’ll be a tall task to top this Margiela moment, but if anyone’s up for the challenge, it’s certainly a statement dresser like Zendaya.