After years of consistency as the belle of the ball, Zendaya’s ascendance to reigning queen of the Met Gala has been brewing for years. But last night, arriving in a Maison Margiela Artisanal gown by John Galliano that referenced his early work at Dior, it was confirmed: she is simply the best of the best.
Not only was there a marked absence of our other Met Gala mothers (no Rihanna, no Bella Hadid, no Beyoncé, no Blake Lively), Zendaya did enough to hold her own even in they had arrived.
Firstly, her choices were smart: Galliano is back, like it or not, and his already-cult Maison Margiela Artisanal spring/summer 2024 haute couture collection was indisputably the biggest fashion moment this year so far. It makes sense, then, that Z and Law Roach would look to Galliano to craft the biggest fashion moment of this year’s Met. But also, that they’d consult a designer with such a storied archive. This year’s Met Gala exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, is all about reviving archive looks so they can be displayed for the masses, and Zendaya’s look did just that. The gown, which was striped midnight blue and black organza, embellished with flowers, grapes and humming birds, referenced a gown made by Galliano for Dior’s spring/summer haute couture collection back in 1999.
What’s more, Zendaya tapped legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath (who did the viral doll makeup for Margiela’s artisanal show)for her glam, making for a dark, dramatic look that elevated the gown further.
And even before the Met, the Challengers star was dropping breadcrumbs that led towards her look. For a pre-Met dinner in New York, Zendaya arrived wearing a vintage Galliano dress from 1998, which was embellished with butterflies but updated for a shorter length. When your co-chair is on-theme before the event even starts, you know it’s going to be good.
She didn’t stop there. After the Margiela look, Zendaya dived into the archives once again and emerged wearing a dramatic, funereal Givenchy gown - designed by Galliano, of course - from 1996. But Law Roach would never let that be it. Because atop Zendaya’s head was an asymmetrical bouquet headpiece, made by Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen circa 2007. As it turns out, florals can really be groundbreaking.
It wasn’t like we didn’t have warning: Zendaya’s been coming for the crown ever since she developed her signature brand method dressing to promote films, pulling mechanical suits from Mugler archives for Dune and donning extreme tenniscore for Challengers. Plus, she’s never missed before: unlike most Met attendees, every look she’s ever worn on those steps has been a hit.
Not that it mattered, but there was also a pretty poor showing from the resident heavyweights: Kim Kardashian was also in Margiela, but limited herself with a piled, grey, granny cardigan. Cardi B was voluminous, as per usual, but off-theme. Kylie and Kendall looked hot, and Kendall’s archive pull (another vintage 1999 Givenchy Haute Couture gown, from Alexander McQueen’s tenure) was admirable, but mainly they just... looked hot. The Loewe girls, gays and theys weren’t giving like they usually would, and Sydney Sweeney was busy cosplaying as Billie Eilish for the night.
So there we have it: Zendaya, the crown is yours. All hail Queen Z.
