Hollywood’s boldest and brightest stars have officially descended upon Los Angeles for the crown jewel of awards season. But, before they take to the Dolby Theatre in two days time, a batch of the industry’s leading names teamed up to attend W Magazine and Louis Vuitton’s Academy Awards dinner last night. Among them was, fittingly, Zendaya, a four-time W cover star and Louis Vuitton ambassador, who took the plunge in a low-cut goddess gown.
The Dune actress went braless in her look, a metallic Louis Vuitton stunner, which featured a plunging halter neckline. Her gown’s cinched waist and extra large black belt added a refined edge to the outfit while the floor-sweeping maxi skirt was the epitome of Hollywood glam. It turns out, though, that Zendaya’s look was much, much more than what met the eye.
As the actress moved about throughout the evening, mingling with the likes of Barry Keoghan and Challengers director Luca Guadagnino, it became clear that not only did she come prepared for a sophisticated night out, but perhaps a chic business meeting too. The star layered a pair of high-waisted dress pants underneath her gown which, now, behaved more as a dramatic blouse than a traditional dress.
The choice to wear pants under a dress, once a go-to in the early and mid aughts, has picked back up in recent months amongst celebrities. But, in true form, Zendaya’s version was entirely unique to her personal style. Something more aligned with an award-winning actress than your average Y2K fanatic.
Styling was kept chic, with the actress choosing black stilettos, silver earrings, and a wispy hairstyle to round out her look. Zendaya later met up with Louis Vuitton womenswear creative director Nicolas Ghesquière and actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, the latter of whom is expected to take home an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actress category on Sunday for her role in The Holdovers.
Speaking of the Oscars, Zendaya is scheduled to present an award at the annual event which means there’s even more red carpet fashion where this moment came from. In case you missed it, the actress has plenty of material to build from as she returns to the Oscars for the first time in two years. In addition to her jaw-dropping Dune press tour, she’s been nailing the step and repeat over the past few days in everything from archival boho chic, to couture jeans and, now, a gown fit for a goddess.
