Photo: Getty
The Emmy Awards may be television’s biggest night out, but if anyone knows how to take that energy even further, it’s Zendaya. Nominated for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her powerful performance as the teenage drug addict Rue in Euphoria, the 26-year-old dialed up the glamour in a custom Valentino ballgown, serving as further proof (if you needed it) that she’s Hollywood’s most stylish ingenue, bar none.
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Designed specifically for the occasion by Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, the dramatic gown featured a form-fitting bodice with a subtle peplum detail and a sweeping full skirt that paid homage to screen sirens from decades past. As Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach told Vogue, the dress was inspired by pieces worn by Grace Kelly in her 1950s fashion icon heyday, as well as a look from Valentino’s fall 1987 collection worn by none other than Linda Evangelista in a Steven Meisel ad campaign.
Photo: Getty
To complete the look, Zendaya pulled her hair back with a sleek silk band for a further nod to cinema from decades past (Brigitte Bardot, eat your heart out), while letting her brushed-out curls fall to her shoulders—all the better to frame her glittering Bulgari jewels. If there’s one thing Roach and Zendaya know, it’s how to effortlessly balance retro with right now. We’re studiously taking notes.
Originally published in Vogue.com
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