Another day, another flawless appearance by Zendaya during her Challengers press tour. On Thursday, April 11, the actress dazzled at the Claridges Hotel in London, England, for a photocall, turning heads with her full-bodied blonde bangs between face-framing side pieces.
Celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen complemented Zendaya’s fringe by pulling her hair back into a chic high ponytail with curled ends. Zendaya’s makeup was kept minimal: flushed cheeks, matching lip color and perfectly groomed brows.
Zendaya’s ensemble, curated by fashion stylist Law Roach, featured a vintage look sourced from Vivienne Westwood’s Spring/Summer 1994 “Cafe Society” collection. She radiated youthfulness and Spring vibes in a pinstripe dress paired with a matching mini skirt, complemented by a white feather bustle at the back.
Recognize the inspiration? Roach took to Instagram to give fans some background on the look. He shared a photo of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City (famously played by Sarah Jessica Parker) sporting a mini-skirt from Vivienne Westwood’s Fall/Winter 1991 collection, as reported by pop culture pro Evan Ross Katz.
This sure isn’t the first time Zendaya’s made the headlines for surprising fans with statement-making bangs. This past January, she turned heads at the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2024 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week with choppy micro bangs. The look was quite a contrast from her current blonde hairstyle; almost the polar opposite. For Fashion Week time, she wore her long hair sleek and straight, showing off her hair color, which at the time was dark with a reddish tint.
Another iconic bangs moment of hers? The 2018 Met Gala. She arrived on the red carpet with a choppy, close-cropped red bob paired with micro bangs. In contrast to her Paris Fashion Week fringe, which featured longer strands in the center of her forehead, her Met Gala micro bangs were cut straight across, and undeniably edge.
“Zendaya’s look was inspired by the power of Joan of Arc and the opulence of Versace, who dressed her this evening,” Stephen told Marie Claire. “The gown references armor and chainmail, so we knew we needed a strong beauty look as well.” The look even took Roach by surprise. In 2018, Allure reported that when Zendaya stepped out to show him the final look, he couldn’t contain his excitement and passionately shouted, “I can’t stand it!” (For the record, we can’t either.)
Marie Claire confirmed with Stephen that Zendaya’s Met Gala hair was, indeed, a wig. And judging by the hairstylist’s current Instagram Story, it’s highly likely that her latest hairstyle is also the result of some faux hair. After all, the Disney Channel alum underwent a hair transformation just a couple of weeks ago when she arrived at the Australian Challengers premiere with honey blonde strands.
We’re eagerly anticipating what other hairstyles Zendaya and Stephen have in store as the press tour continues. You can see the highly anticipated movie in theaters across the country starting April 26.
