Zendaya’s Dramatic Black Spider-Man Gown Suggests Something Very Wicked
For her final red carpet appearance on the Spider-Man: Brand New Day press tour, Zendaya has transformed into a spider—sort of. At the premiere of the Marvel movie in Los Angeles on Monday night, the star stepped out in a couture Ashi Studio dress meant to convey a very abstract vision of arachnid anatomy.
Walking the red carpet at Dolby Theatre, Zendaya emerged in an architectural, asymmetrical silhouette reminiscent of an avant-garde black widow. The satin design featured a fitted bodice that cascaded into a sea of sculptural ruffles and a winding, deliberately crooked train. At the top of the plunging neckline, sharp pieces of fabric extended out, reminiscent of appendages. This creepy-crawling imagery was reflected in her slicked-down bangs, which were separated into winding tendrils on her forehead. But the undeniable showstopper was the otherworldly Ashi Studio frock, which came from the fall 2027 couture collection and took nearly 200 hours to make. According to the Parisian house, Zendaya was fitted for the dress before it even debuted on the runway.
“A first fitting was organized in June, a few weeks before the show, when the look was still in the making,” the brand said on Instagram—adding that it was sent to Roach and Zendaya “right after the show” for this occasion. In other words, the look was made for her.
“In our mind, it’s this metamorphosis of this woman into this...thing,” stylish Law Roach said of the gown on the red carpet. To add to this storytelling, her tried-and-true Louboutins were also entirely transformed—with the red-soled shoe featuring a mesh upper embellished with intricate web-like embroidery. One heel even had a bedazzled spider appliqué that appeared to crawl up her foot. She finished the look with extravagant pendant earrings from Boucheron: dangling paved diamonds on white gold, with onyx and black lacquer.
Her moody makeup, courtesy of Prada Beauty, added a dangerous edge. Executed by celebrity makeup artist Ernesto Casillas, her smudgy eye was inspired by the dark nature of the dress—resulting in diffused glam with a vampiric effect. While all Zendaya’s ensembles on this particular press tour have leaned gothic, this look is decidedly the darkest. While some have posited that her black uniform was meant to signal M.J. in mourning, now, fans have begun wondering if she becomes a villain herself—pointing out the aesthetic similarities to Venom, a longtime Spider-Man enemy.
As far as fashion lovers are concerned, it’s a satisfying red-carpet conclusion. Up until this point, Zendaya’s carefully considered looks have been toying with spider-verse submersion. Her vintage Versace lattice-adorned gown evoked an all-encompassing cobweb. Her 1940s-era cocktail gown was embellished with a bejewelled spider. Her Morticia Addams-esque ensemble had long, web-like fringe cascading from her fingers. All things considered, channelling a black widow was the natural next step.
