LIFESTYLE

Zendaya To Receive The 2021 CFDA Fashion Icon Honor

October 22, 2021

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 Williams, Naomi 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.