Zendaya made history at the Emmy Awards 2022 by becoming the youngest two-time winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress award, and was also the first Black woman to receive two wins in the category — and consecutively at that.
What’s more, the actress also impressed fans with her sartorial choices for the awards ceremony and after-party. She wore an all-black, strapless, Maison Valentino ball gown with a sweetheart neckline, peplum bodice, voluminous full skirt, a built-in belt with a bow in the front, and even pockets! Completing the outfit with a high pony, the actress opted for a chunky diamond necklace, stud earrings, and a ring from Bvlgari.
Interestingly, this outfit was designed in just a week! Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach told media sources that Maison Valentino had initially designed three other gowns for her, but none of them clicked. Instead, the dress that Zendaya wore had occurred to Law in a dream!
He was quoted as saying to media sources, “I woke up in the middle of the night and called Valentino, asking them to make this new dress. It was the last dress we tried on, and I have to give a huge thanks to that team. Those women work so hard, and everything is done by hand.”
Law Roach also explained that the inspiration for the gown came from American actress Grace Kelly and supermodel Linda Evangelista. He told media sources, “We took inspiration from Grace Kelly and Old Hollywood movies. Zendaya and I were also really inspired by Valentino’s fall 1987 collection. There was a red dress that Linda Evangelista wore in an editorial, and we took inspiration from the bodice of the dress — but we made it black and the skirt a lot bigger.”
Zendaya also wore another Valentino dress for the HBO after-party: a plunging red gown with a long train and long sleeves. According to reports, the dress was described as a modern reinterpretation of the red evening gown created by costume designer Marilyn Vance for Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.