Zendaya turned to her own fashion archive as she stepped out at the premiere of The Drama, re-wearing a white Vivienne Westwood gown she first wore to the Academy Awards in 2015.
The actor, who stars in the upcoming A24 film alongside Robert Pattinson, chose the off-the-shoulder corseted dress for the red carpet appearance, giving the look a distinctly bridal update more than a decade after its original outing.
The gown, a signature design from the British designer, features a structured corset bodice with softly draped fabric across the shoulders, falling into a streamlined column skirt with a subtle train.
The gown reflects Westwood’s long-standing approach to tailoring and draping, combining Romantic corsetry with a more modern, red carpet-ready silhouette.
Zendaya first wore the dress to the 2015 Oscars, when she was still early in her transition from Disney Channel star to established Hollywood actor.
At the time, she styled the gown with side-swept dreadlocks, a chunky diamond bracelet and a clutch bag, creating one of the most talked-about beauty moments of that year’s ceremony.
For the premiere of The Drama, however, she reimagined the look with a more minimal approach.
Her hair was styled in a smooth, side-parted bob, while her accessories were pared back to delicate drop earrings and pointed white heels. The update shifted the emphasis from statement styling to a more pared-back finish.
She also wore her engagement ring and wedding band, reinforcing the bridal tone of the ensemble – a detail that aligned with the theme behind the look.
Speaking on the red carpet, Zendaya said the outfit was inspired by the traditional wedding rhyme.
“I was brainstorming with [stylist Law Roach] about how I would theme dress for this film, and I kind of remembered the saying, ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,'” she told Variety, and so decided to bring an archived dress back.
The decision to re-wear a previous red carpet look reflects a growing trend in celebrity fashion, with archival dressing becoming increasingly prominent.
Margot Robbie showcased this during her red carpet looks for the Wuthering Heights premieres, opting for a full look from the John Galliano spring/summer 1992 runway, in a green jacket with pink feather trim and red thigh-high stockings.
Rather than debuting entirely new pieces, stars are revisiting significant looks from their own wardrobes and reinterpreting them for new occasions.
Zendaya’s long-standing collaboration with stylist Law Roach has been central to this approach. Known for creating narrative-driven fashion looks, the pair often use clothing to reference themes connected to the project being promoted.
That approach has been evident throughout the promotional tour for The Drama, directed by Kristoffer Borgli.
The film follows a couple whose relationship begins to unravel in the lead-up to their wedding, with Zendaya playing Emma Harwood, a bookstore employee, opposite Pattinson’s character Charlie Thompson, a museum director.
Her red carpet wardrobe has reflected those themes, with a series of bridal and romantic references present across multiple appearances.
In recent days, she has worn several white and ivory looks, including a structured shirt dress at Paris Fashion Week and a vintage-inspired floral gown at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards.
The return to her 2015 Oscars gown marks the most direct reference to the “something old” element of the wedding rhyme, while the updated styling and personal details – including her jewellery – bring the look into the present.
Meanwhile, Pattinson opted for a contrasting approach to red carpet dressing. The actor wore Dior, featuring a salmon-pink suit with shawl lapels, paired with a forest green shirt, striped tie and python-print loafers, offering a more unconventional take on formalwear.
Together, the pair’s looks balanced traditional references with a contemporary take, reflecting the tone of the film itself.
More than a decade after she first wore the Vivienne Westwood gown, Zendaya’s decision to revisit the look reflects the enduring relevance of well-crafted design at a time when sustainability is increasingly in focus.
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