Zendaya’s Voluminous Valentino Ballgown Is The Stuff Of Modern Fairytales

“I think elegance is not about ‘good taste’,” Pierpaolo Piccioli told Vogue after the reveal of his Valentino Haute Couture spring/summer 2021 collection. “It’s a bit daring.” Fitting then that red-carpet risk taker Zendaya was one of the first to take the designer’s voluminous and wonderfully extravagant modern ballgowns for a spin.

On the night of the Critics’ Choice Awards, Law Roach – the stylist who transformed Zendaya from Disney princess to bona fide fashion plate – captured a clip of his client posing in a fairytale full, orange skirt and a classic vest top. The play with proportions made the high-low look visually arresting as Zendaya, who wore her hair braided and her skin dewy, gave good angles.

“I am not a demure stylist known for little black dresses – those who choose to work with me know this,” Roach told us last week after he helped Anya Taylor-Joy realise her own fantasy red-carpet moment in Dior at the Golden Globes. The self-described image architect had of course set the bar high for Zendaya’s Critics’ Choice Awards look. Last year, she shut down the physical ceremony in a metallic magenta Tom Ford breast plate and skirt, which Roach described at the time as a “Warrior Woman” mood.

From polished metal bralettes to unabashedly large ballgowns, Zendaya’s fearlessness does not just apply to fashion. During last night’s virtual film celebration, the Malcolm & Marie star received the SeeHer Award, which honours women who push boundaries and defy stereotypes in the entertainment industry. She took her time in the spotlight – albeit via a tiny Zoom square – to share the importance of gratitude and recognising “every single moment, big and small”. For viewers watching around the world, Zendaya continued to act and look like the perfect role model.