Zendaya’s Schiaparelli Lobster Skirt Is a Literal Feast For the Eyes
Winter whites have become something of a phenomenon this season, but leave it to Zendaya to take the trend to all new territory. Over the weekend, the actress stepped out to the CCXP comic convention in Brazil wearing a monochrome Schiaparelli look that was a literal feast for the eyes. Joined by her Dune: Part Two co-stars (Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler, and Florence Pugh) the actress cut a stylish figure in a look from the Italian brand’s spring/summer 2024 runway show.
Naturally, Zendaya’s ruched skirt took inspiration from one of Schiaparelli’s most recognizable motifs: the lobster. The statement piece featured a draped silhouette and a 3D fabric lobster complete with a spine, tentacles, and antennas. Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach, pointed out on his Instagram stories that the design detail is not a lobster but actually a “Sand Worm,” in reference to Dune’s nasty fictional creatures. Still, the object is a clear homage to house founder Elsa Schiaparelli’s lobster dress designed in collaboration with Salvador Dalí.
The original piece, a printed silk dress instead of a 3D add-on, was quite radical for its time and drew on the surrealist art movement of the ’30s. The house’s current creative director Daniel Roseberry is no stranger to the surreal style (he did send faux lion and leopard heads down the runway, after all). So it makes sense that he would reinterpret the sea creature for his most recent collection. The designer also used the lobster elsewhere in the show mainly in the form of larger-than-life necklaces and pendants.
Zendaya naturally kept things rather sleek for the rest of her look. She tucked a crisp button down, complete with exaggerated cuffs, into her skirt and slipped into a pair of simple white heels. For glam, she went with a slicked back, wet hair style, natural makeup, and silver Bulgari earrings. Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike and production delays, Dune: Part Two is now scheduled for a March 2024 release date. The good news? Another fashion-filled Zendaya press tour is imminent.
