How Zendaya Became Princess of the Met Gala—From Cinderella & Beyond

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You can always count on Zendaya to bring the drama.

Despite being only 29 years old, the Euphoria actress has already become a Met Gala favorite, appearing at seven of the museum’s annual Costume Institute benefits.

She said she first visited when she was eighteen, describing it as both thrilling and scary on Live with Kelly and Mark in 2024.

Indeed, as Zendaya put it, “Going up the steps, it’s very daunting.”

Despite any challenges, she continues to be a bold and innovative fashion icon, captivating us with her unique style. Since first appearing at the 2015 Met Gala in a custom Fausto Puglisi gown inspired by the “China: Through the Looking Glass” theme, the Emmy-winning actress has consistently impressed with each new outfit.

Oh my god, 2018! Can we talk about the Met Gala? She absolutely SLAYED the “Heavenly Bodies” theme. It wasn’t just a dress, it was a full suit of armor! And then, the Versace chainmail? Forget about it. Law Roach, her stylist, said it was inspired by a French saint, and honestly, it felt divine. I’ve rewatched the red carpet footage a million times, and it still gives me chills. She understood the assignment, and then some!

I had a dream about Joan of Arc and immediately contacted Versace with an idea to create something inspired by her,” he explained to WWD. “They responded with some fantastic designs.

The actress from Shake It Up fully embraced her role, even dyeing her hair a vibrant red and styling it in a bob with bangs for a dramatic entrance up the iconic staircase of the New York museum.

Her stylist recently shared how stressful preparing for the Met Gala can be, explaining to TopMob News that despite months of effort, celebrities are only on the red carpet for about five minutes before the event moves inside. It’s a lot of work for a very brief moment in the spotlight.

Whether Zendaya and Tom Holland will attend the 2026 Met Gala remains uncertain, but a representative suggested the event’s ‘Costume Art’ theme and ‘Fashion Is Art’ dress code are open to many creative possibilities. They jokingly told TopMob that attendees might even dress as famous artworks, like the Mona Lisa.

Zendaya and Tom Holland truly outdid themselves the next year at the Met Gala. Zendaya arrived as a modern-day Disney princess for the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” themed event, dressed as Cinderella in a stunning Tommy Hilfiger gown. The dress was incredible, featuring 40 meters of glowing LED lights, and Tom Holland played the part of her fairy godmother.

Zendaya’s amazing outfits turned heads, but she shared that creating those looks wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

She told British Vogue that the Met Gala outfit was incredibly stressful. It was a dress with electronic components, and when she arrived, it wasn’t functioning as planned. It was designed to gradually increase in intensity, but it didn’t quite work that way.

Zendaya expressed immense gratitude for her team’s dedication, noting they faced significant pressure to complete her gown. Despite their efforts, it wasn’t quite finished on time, needing about a week longer to be fully completed.

Her stylist, Law, recently shared how stressful the Met Gala can be, telling TopMob News that despite months of preparation, celebrities are only on the red carpet for about five minutes before the event moves inside. He described it as a lot of hard work for a very brief moment in the spotlight.

Whether Zendaya and Tom Holland will finally attend the Met Gala together in 2026 is still unknown. However, event organizer Law suggests the ‘Costume Art’ theme and ‘Fashion Is Art’ dress code are open to lots of creative ideas. He jokingly told TopMob that someone might even show up dressed as the Mona Lisa!

As we eagerly anticipate this year’s Met Gala looks, I’ve been reminiscing about some of Zendaya’s most iconic moments. She consistently delivers, drawing inspiration from such diverse figures as Joan of Arc, Cinderella, and absolute legends like Diana Ross and Bianca Jagger. It’s amazing to see how she brings these influences to life on the red carpet!

As a style enthusiast, I remember Zendaya really turning heads when she first walked the Met Gala carpet back in 2015! She wore a stunning, custom-made dress by Fausto Puglisi – it had a beautiful sun design, which perfectly fit the gala’s theme that year, ‘China: Through the Looking Glass.’ It was a really clever and memorable look!

The actress from Euphoria only tried on the dress a couple of times before wearing it to the event in New York City. She later told People magazine that the night, while intense, was a positive experience.

For the 2016 Met Gala, which had a “Manus x Machina” theme, Zendaya wore a stylish bronze one-shoulder dress by Michael Kors and a modern mushroom-shaped wig.

Zendaya stunned in a floral Dolce & Gabbana gown at the 2017 event, which celebrated the work of designer Rei Kawakubo and her brand, Comme des Garçons.

Zendaya’s outfit was so striking that it caught the attention of Rihanna, who shared a photo of the Challengers star on Instagram and called her a “brown goddess.”

In 2018, the former Disney Channel star had a striking fashion moment at the Met Gala. She wore a silver Atelier Versace dress inspired by medieval armor, complete with chainmail details, perfectly fitting the event’s theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” She finished the look with metallic Jimmy Choo heels and a red bob hairstyle reminiscent of Joan of Arc.

Zendaya later said the outfit was one of her all-time favorite red carpet looks, describing it to InStyle in October 2021 as making her feel powerful, like a warrior.

She wasn’t alone in admiring the outfit. Her Spider-Man co-star, Tom Holland—who she began dating in 2021 and later became engaged to in 2025—also publicly praised it, writing on Instagram, “All hail the queen. Killing it mate.”

In 2019, Zendaya embraced her Disney past and looked like a true princess at the Met Gala. The event’s theme was “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” and she delivered with a stunning, light-up blue Tommy Hilfiger gown. Completing the fairytale look, her stylist Law Roach accompanied her, dressed as her fairy godmother.

Although Zendaya’s outfit was famous, she admitted getting ready for the red carpet was actually quite stressful.

She told British Vogue that the Met Gala outfit was really stressful. It was essentially an electronic dress, and when she arrived, it wasn’t fully prepared. It wasn’t functioning as expected – she’d hoped it would gradually increase in intensity, but it didn’t quite work that way.

Alongside Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth, the star of Challengers truly stood out at the 2024 event with two stunning red carpet outfits. Her first look, as seen in the picture, was a darkly romantic, garden-inspired design by John Galiano, perfectly matching the event’s “Garden of Time” theme from the Sleeping Beauties collection.

It certainly made her return to the ball after five years all the more exciting. 

Everyone is still talking about Zendaya’s stunning Met Gala appearance! The Dune star surprised attendees by arriving late in the evening wearing a breathtaking new John Galliano gown and a beautiful rose headpiece. It was a moment worth rewatching!

Zendaya chose a menswear-inspired outfit for the Met Gala, fitting with the evening’s theme of celebrating Black style. The look, designed by Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton, was a tribute to style icons Diana Ross and Bianca Jagger. She also subtly showcased her engagement ring, giving a nod to her partner, Tom Holland, as she climbed the steps to the event.

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2026-05-04 01:17