LIFESTYLE

Zendaya To Receive The 2021 CFDA Fashion Icon Honor

  • October 22, 2021

Zendaya To Receive The 2021 CFDA Fashion Icon Honor

Zendaya has been named the 2021 recipient of the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award. According to Vogue, the actress will be recognized by the organization on November 10 during its first in-person ceremony since 2019. The Dune star will be accompanied by her longtime stylist Law Roach. At the age of 25-years-old, Zendaya will be the youngest person ever to receive the distinguished honor.

As an actress who has attended red carpets, premieres, and other Hollywood affairs for years, Zendaya has evolved from a child star in cute clothes to a talent that fashion lovers anticipate seeing hit every event. With this honor, the actress joins the ranks of Rihanna, Beyoncé, Pharrell WilliamsNaomi Campbell, and Prince, who have all been named CFDA Fashion Icons in their careers.

Law Roach Zendaya Met Gala
Law Roach (L) and Zendaya attend The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

She is also recognized for her 2013 launch of Zaya by Zendaya, which is currently on hiatus. When established, the clothing line helped to pioneer gender-fluid designs and a more inclusive size range. She has also worked with CFDA board member Tommy Hilfiger on the Tommy x Zendaya collection and is a spokesperson for Lancôme, Bulgari, and Valentino.

As the cover star for Instyle‘s Nov. 2021 Best Dressed issue, the Euphoria star described attending red carpets as getting to be a different person each time.

“I think about red carpets as having their own characters and narratives. We build a little story for all the looks. It’s like an extension of my acting career in a weird way — you just pop this wig on or whatever it is,” she shared. Clothes sometimes are very emotional, so I get to embody these different facets — maybe they’re of myself, or maybe they’re alter egos. But I get to meet these different women through clothes.” 

Zendaya Yellow Gown Red Carpet
Zendaya attends the 93rd Annual Academy Awards at Union Station on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Matt Sayles/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images

Another history-making moment at this year’s CFDA awards comes from fashion designer Dapper Dan who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. He will be the first Black designer to be awarded the honor and the first designer to earn the honor without ever having a formal runway show.

Thank you to the CFDA for making me the first black designer to win this lifetime achievement award. Harnessing the Dapper Dan brand to Gucci, mounted it on a global track, now the whole world knows what Harlem always knew, that the Dapper Dan brand is a thoroughbred brand,” he remarked.

Dapper Dan
Fashion designer Dapper Dan attends the “Godfather Of Harlem” New York Screening at The Apollo Theater on September 16, 2019 in New York City. Mike Coppola/Getty Images

View the full list of CFDA Award nominees and honorees below:

The Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert:

Aurora James for the 15 Percent Pledge

The Fashion Icon Award:

Zendaya

The Face of the Year Award:

Anya Taylor-Joy

The Environmental Sustainability Award:

Patagonia

The Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard:

Nina Garcia

The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award:

Dapper Dan

The Board of Directors’ Tribute:

Yeohlee Teng

American Womenswear Designer of the Year Nominees:

Catherine Holstein for Khaite

Christopher John Rogers

Gabriela Hearst

Marc Jacobs

Peter Do

American Menswear Designer of the Year nominees:

Emily Adams Bode for Bode

Jerry Lorenzo for Fear of God

Mike Amiri for Amiri

Telfar Clemens for Telfar

Thom Browne

American Accessories Designer of the Year nominees:

Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row

Aurora James for Brother Vellies

Gabriela Hearst

Stuart Vevers for Coach

Telfar Clemens for Telfar

American Emerging Designer of the Year nominees:

Edvin Thompson for Theophilio

Eli Russell Linnetz for ERL

Jameel Mohammed for Khiry

Kenneth Nicholson

Maisie Schloss for Maisie Wilen

International Women’s Designer of the Year nominees:

Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta

Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga

Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons for Prada

Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino

Simon Porte Jacquemus for Jacquemus

International Men’s Designer of the Year nominees:

Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta

Dries Van Noten

Grace Wales Bonner for Wales Bonner

Rick Owens

Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton

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