Zendaya Maree Stoermer, the American actress and singer, is popularly known for her versatile roles across Hollywood. From leading Sam Levinson’s Euphoria as Rue to playing an MJ in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, alongside Tom Holland in the Spider-Man series, she is also at the centre of a massive fashion buzz on the Internet.
While this is not new for Zendaya or her fans, her fashion looks for press shows are no longer just getting likes. It is a revenue model and a masterclass in marketing that has raised her net worth to nearly $40 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth.
During the recent promotions of her upcoming film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, she was spotted with her co-star and partner, Tom Holland, in cities across the world. From serving serious fashion looks in Rome in vintage Versace, she wore a $35 t-shirt from eBay to beat the heat in France’s heatwave. Together with her stylist, Law Roach, Zendaya just reiterated her dominance over moment marketing that others only seem to touch the surface of.
Zendaya’s fashion empire – Beyond the movies
Apart from her most recognisable works like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man or Euphoria, Zendaya also gave hits like Dune, Challengers, and The Drama – some of her most viral performances that came with a significantly high paycheck. While she is one of the biggest names in Hollywood right now, her fashion empire extends beyond press tours and premieres.
Zendaya has had a long-term association with luxury brands like Lancome, Valentino, Bulgari, and Louis Vuitton. The child star who once earned $140,000 from Disney became one of Hollywood’s most widely recognised stars. And, according to a Grey Journal report, a brand deal comes at no less than $5-8 million for her.
Interestingly, Zendaya’s campaign with Swiss sportswear brand, On, generated a whopping $1.7 million media impact value (MIV) in just two days after the campaign rolled out. Launchmetrics further revealed that the 2024 campaign generated an MIV of $3.5 million overall. And with 181 million followers on Instagram, at the time, the single post generated $1.2 million in MIV. WWD reported that the brand’s sales jumped by 63% to nearly $22 million in the quarter.
A Moment in Marketing – Zendaya’s textile superpower
Zendaya’s pre-movie looks are nothing short of art. It’s not gowns and pant-suits, but carefully curated power moves. As every accessory and every pose feels intentional, fans are rather delighted by the method-dressing, which is more than wearing the official merchandise of her upcoming film.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
For her upcoming movie on July 29, Zendaya has been jetting around the world. From Rome and London to Paris and Berlin, some of these looks do not back down on her ‘spider’ element. From going all out with a vintage Versace two-piece red and blue piece, she gives a subtle nod to the signature Spider-Man colours. Others include a spider-web earring paired with a vintage Giorgio Armani from 1990. Her most recent appearance in France was a simple tee with a spider-web, sourced for $35, as per Variety.
Challengers (2024)
This is where Zendaya’s method-dressing truly made the headlines when she paired a deep-neck embellished spin to a tennis dress from Loewe with tennis balls for heels. During the press tour, she had said, “We are constantly trying to be inspired by the film, whether that be literally — like this morning, I had tennis balls in my shoes — or more just the essence of a character, or a concept, or an idea,” as per CNN.
The Drama (2026)
For her A24 film that released earlier this year, Zendaya starred alongside Robert Pattinson and nearly all her outfits were wedding-themed. Not only did she wear several white outfits during the entire press tour, but it also fueled several rumours about her long-term partner, Tom Holland. Creating buzz across the Internet, her wardrobe also banked on several couture labels like Vivienne Westwood. However, it was more than just labels. As the wedding fable goes, the bride often wears something old, blue, and borrowed. Zendaya wore an archive VW from her first Oscars in 2015.
Her ‘new’ was a custom Louis Vuitton, and ‘borrowed’ came from Giorgio Armani, originally worn by Cate Blanchett. However, her most viral look came via Schiaparelli Haute Couture’s ‘something blue’ gown, with the entire wardrobe not simply styled, but strategised to curate a narrative.
Ticket sales and more
And this fashion didn’t just generate Internet chatter, but had the power to move box office outcomes. Challengers opened with $15 million on its debut weekend, and a poll cited in Business Mirror reported that 55% of the audience went to see the film because of Zendaya.
The downstream effects extend far beyond ticket sales as it created a cultural phenomenon for the search for ‘adult tennis lessons’ increased by 245%, according to Tennis.com. Moreover, the trend forecasting platform, WGSN, reported a significant surge in investment in athleisure and sportswear by 100% in the year.