One day after stepping out in a $35 eBay tee, Zendaya arrived at the Spider-Man: Brand New Day London photo call in a 1997 John Galliano gown dripping in Tiffany diamonds.
Zendaya arrived at the London photo call for Spider-Man: Brand New Day on June 25 wearing a piece most people had forgotten existed. The gown, pulled from John Galliano’s Spring/Summer 1997 ‘Circus’ collection, had not been on a red carpet in any meaningful way for the better part of three decades. On her, it looked like it had been waiting.
The iridescent inky blue dress featured a sleeveless silhouette layered with a cloud print that bled into celestial symbols and twinkling gold stars. Tiered ruffle trim ran along the hem, an appropriately theatrical touch for a runway collection that debuted under an actual big-top theme. The front of the gown was draped with two chains across the bodice, hung with gold and silver charms shaped like shooting stars, feathers, clovers, hearts, and lightning bolts.
The back that made everyone stop
The dress’s defining moment was entirely behind her. Thin silver chains stretched across the open back in the shape of a spiderweb, anchored at the center by a matching arachnid charm. Each strand was strung with small silver ball charms designed to mimic dewdrops catching light. The effect was delicate and unmistakably intentional.
How the rest of the look came together
Roach completed the ensemble with pale gold Christian Louboutin pointed-toe satin pumps. Zendaya’s short hair was worn sleek, and her makeup featured shimmery gold and pink highlights. She also flashed her ring stack, which has drawn its own attention throughout the press tour.
The jewelry was sourced from Tiffany & Co.’s Sixteen Stone collection and totaled more than $100,000. The breakdown: diamond hoop earrings at $27,500, a diamond bracelet at $55,000, a diamond ring at $18,000, and a diamond-and-ruby ring at $18,500.
Tom Holland, her husband and co-star, stood beside her in a cool gray jacket, maroon T-shirt, and dark gray trousers. His outfit did not feature a spiderweb.
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Where this fits in the larger press tour
The London appearance was the latest chapter in what has become one of the more deliberately constructed press tour wardrobes in recent memory. Across Madrid, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, and Paris, Zendaya has worked through a rotating catalogue of spider-adjacent references without repeating a gesture twice. There have been arachnid jewels, beaded webbing, silk fringe, bejeweled spiders, and one deliberately stripped-back Paris look that consisted of a $35 vintage 2007 Spider-Man T-shirt and white Louboutin heels.
The Galliano gown lands near the top of that list, not because it’s the flashiest, but because it earns the theme without announcing it. The spiderweb only reveals itself when she turns around.
What Zendaya has said about dressing this way
Zendaya has spoken before about what fashion does for her beyond aesthetics. In a past interview with Marie Claire, she described using clothing as a way to define herself outside of earlier roles.
The summer is far from over. Both Zendaya and Holland are expected to hit the Spider-Man: Brand New Day premieres in Los Angeles and New York City, and will also appear on the press circuit for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which releases within weeks of the Spider-Man film. There are more looks coming. Based on London, that is not a bad thing.
