This is a watershed moment for May’s all-conquering cover hero, as it is only the third time in recent history that the covers of British and US Vogue have been devoted to the same people at the same time.
Now let us meet Zendaya, whose dazzling fame is as tall and singular as an ABC. I had the good fortune to see Z’s natural charisma up close and personal earlier this year at a photo studio on the outskirts of Paris. Photographer Carlijn Jacobs and stylist Law Roach captured the moments when her feet seemed to be floating in mid-air, and that’s because, for the better part of the day, that was exactly the case. The performer, who has become famous for her ability to effortlessly switch between different outfits, exhibited the same chameleonic magic in Game, Set & Smash, as you will see for yourself. I think some of her recent dress choices have been just outstanding. For instance, during the most recent Dune: Part Two press tour, she almost tumbled onto the red carpet at the premiere in London. She looked like some galactic being in a couture cyborg outfit from the autumn 1995 collection by Mugler.
This month, Zendaya showcases her versatility with two separate international cover photos that occupy opposing sides of the fashion spectrum: couture and sports-luxe, respectively. For British Vogue, Zendaya channelled the spirit of Tashi Duncan, the fiercely competitive tennis star-turned-coach she plays in Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s much-anticipated sports drama-meets-love triangle, costarring Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, and released in cinemas this month. The cover features Tashi’s first collaboration with British designer Wales Bonner, who is known for his track jackets, shorts and trainers.
(If you’ve been keeping up with the seemingly endless success of the Adidas Samba, you’ll be aware that Wales Bonner’s take on the iconic sneaker is heavily involved.) As a fashion writer working at US Vogue a decade ago, I remember the young Grace roaming the halls of the magazine as an intern. She showed exquisite taste even as a youngster, studying and carefully considering every element of her everyday ensembles. She was discrete yet impossible to overlook. I’ve collected her clothes obsessively in the years since she launched her brand exactly because they bring a sense of the extraordinary to the everyday.
