Zendaya Admits She "For Sure" Feels Red Carpet Outfit Anxiety

She's opening up about the "crazy, sometimes ridiculous" looks she wears in a new interview.

a collage of Zendaya wearing three dramatic red carpet outfits
(Image credit: Getty Images)

When Zendaya walks on to a red carpet in a Cher-inspired naked dress, or a Mugler cyborg suit crafted from actual metal, the last emotion she seems to telegraph is anxiety. But looks are deceiving: Even the undisputed fashion icon of the twenty-first century has her hesitations from time to time.

In a new interview for Vanity Fair's 2025 Hollywood Issue, Zendaya opened up about how she's really feeling when she and Law Roach reveal their latest red carpet experiments to the world. Asked whether she ever feels anxiety about her outfits, Z replied, "Sometimes, for sure."

Zendaya and Law Roach backstage at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Zendaya, in a Cher-inspired naked dress, with her longtime image architect, Law Roach.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Who can blame her? Zendaya is often the first to wear extremely rare archival pieces after several decades in storage (see: her cyborg couture Givenchy suit for the Dune: Part Two press run). Or, she's the first to try a completely custom creation from one of fashion's most famed designers—which was the case with the Louis Vuitton, Thom Browne, and Loewe gowns she wore on the Challengers tour.

Risks are a key ingredient in the Zendaya red carpet outfit formula, whether she's playing up proportions or trying a daring cut-out silhouette. Still, the actor told Vanity Fair that these looks are ultimately more like "armor" than a source of anxiety.

"I also think that fashion, in many ways, is a tool for me. I consider myself a shyer person, which I guess you wouldn’t quite realize from the crazy, sometimes ridiculous things that I wear," she said. Z added that she and Law Roach will invent characters with full-on backstories for each outfit—allowing her to treat the red carpet outfit like an acting opportunity.

zendaya wearing a black ball gown at the met gala

Zendaya co-chaired the annual Met Gala in 2024, wearing two archival looks by John Galliano.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"I just embody this girl—whoever this woman is tonight," Zendaya explained. "It makes the whole process easier because it’s not yourself; it’s a version of yourself. It feels less like 'What am I doing?,' and more, 'This is really cool and fun.'"

Zendaya attends the "Dune: Part Two" premiere at Lincoln Center

Zendaya in a dramatic hip cut-out gown at the Dune: Part Two premiere in New York City.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Before she appeared on the Vanity Fair cover in fresh-off-the-runway Alaïa, Z had been spotted around Boston in much more low-key outfits. Filming with Robert Pattinson, she's worn cozy sweaters and deliciously oversize winter coats; the fashion equivalent of a hug. Outfit anxiety? When she's off the red carpet, there's no way she's anything but comfortable.

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Halie LeSavage
Senior News Editor (Fashion & Beauty)

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders including stylist Alison Bornstein and J.Crew womenswear creative director Olympia Gayot, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what trends—like the rise of doll-like Mary Janes or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. (She justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”) Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. Halie has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self-Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she was awarded the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.