Zendaya has a solid reputation as champion for inclusivity—and her ventures in fashion are no exception. This week in her first TommyNow collection with Tommy Hilfiger at Paris Fashion Week Zendaya showed the entire industry how to put on an inclusive—and fun—fashion show.
Inspired by disco-era designs, the Tommy x Zendaya was a party filled with colorful clothing, and top models of color in a full spectrum of sizes. In a fashion week that tends to run exceptionally low on showing women outside sample sizes, it was a major standout in the best way. Unfortunately for our wallets (but fortunately for our late-winter style ruts), the whole collection is shoppable online now too.
The inspiration behind her groovy show requires a little history lesson. Back in 1973, French and American top designers (think Givenchy and Dior, Halston and Oscar de la Renta) faced off in Paris in the “Battle of Versailles,” a challenge to see if America could overcome its reputation of being the “poor country cousin to French couture,” as WWD explained in an interview with Zendaya. The Americans wound up the victor, thanks to modern designs and designer Stephen Burrows’ casting of black models who brought it on the runway with “fun-loving attitudes and moves” that “stole the show” reports WWD. They also broke major ground for future women of color. It’s from this headline-making show that Zendaya and her stylist, Law Roach, told WWD that they drew inspiration.
“We’re paying homage to these women who changed our legacy…and allowed for me and so many others to be here. I remember when my Vogue cover came out, Beverly Johnson [the first African American model to land the cover of American Vogue] tweeted me congratulations, and I said this wouldn’t be possible without you,” said Zendaya. “This is about saying we appreciate and love you.”
Zendaya also said that size diversity was critical for her as they went to cast the show—a first for the Tommy Hilfiger runway.
“Size inclusivity has been important to me always—if women in my family can’t all wear it, I don’t want to make it,” Zendaya told WWD “We had plus size models, which Tommy has never done before.”
“Ten plus[-size] girls out here from New York,” Roach added. “[Zendaya] pushes me to say it has to be everyone, she’s changed my idea of what should and shouldn’t be for women.”
Hilfiger also told WWD that casting the show was up to the duo. “I said, ‘Do what you think is best.’ Obviously a couple of girls have been in our family, Winnie Harlow is one, so I said make sure they are included. But they really chose.”
Harlow walked in a chic red-and-white striped dress.
Winnie Harlow walks the TommyNow runway.
Peter White/FilmMagicDilone walked, too.
As did Grace Bol.
And to top it all off, there was a cameo from the inimitable Grace Jones.
Grace Jones makes a cameo during the show.
Ian Gavan/Getty Images For Tommy Hilfinger
And by Pat Cleveland, who walked in the original Battle of Versailles.
Twitter, of course, was all over it:
More of this inclusion at all Fashion Week shows, please.
