Zendaya’s Met Gala Comeback Is One For The History Books

She’s back! After a five-year hiatus, Zendaya has officially graced the Met Gala red carpet once again—as one of the evening’s five co-chairs, nonetheless—in not one, but two dramatic referential looks that nailed the night’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”

Zendaya, fresh off the premiere of her tennis flick Challengers, stepped out to the Museum of Metropolitan Art in a custom gown from Maison Margiela. Her dress, inspired by Margiela designer John Galliano’s spring 1999 couture collection for Dior, featured a sweetheart neckline that was accented by a one-shoulder sash detail. After cinching the actress’s waist, the gown flowed into a flared, statement mermaid-style skirt complete with gradated stripes. Bustles of various flora and fauna (and the odd grape) placed at the actress’s waist nodded to the 1962 J.G. Ballard short story “The Garden of Time” which partially inspired the night’s dress code.

For some extra oomph, the actress paired her look with a sculptural headpiece by Stephen Jones and ’20s-inspired hair and makeup by none other than Pat McGrath. Though you can’t see them, Zendaya even switched out her usual “So Kate” heels for a pair of Margiela’s signature Tabis pumps instead.

Per usual, Zendaya worked the red carpet like it was her own personal runway as she showed off each and every angle of this Margiela stunner. Fittingly, just yesterday, Zendaya sported another ’90s Galliano dress while out in New York City.

Zendaya last attended the Met Gala in 2019, themed “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” when she shut down the red carpet in a light-up Tommy Hilfiger princess dress. Tonight, she’s among the gala’s five co-chairs—alongside Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour—which explains her early arrival to the event.

As if her artisinal Margiela wasn’t enough, Zendaya had one last go at things before the Metropolitan Museum closed down the red carpet. The actress switched into a vintage ball gown from Givenchy’s spring 1996 couture collection which also happened to be designed by John Galliano.

She paired the sweeping ball gown with a dramatic headpiece that mimicked the shape of a bouquet of roses—another vintage grail designed by Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen’s 2007 collection. Most struggle to produce one, let alone two on-theme red carpet moments upon their Met Gala comeback. Give Zendaya her flowers. All of them.