Queen Z! Zendaya arrives at Dune 2 premiere in metallic Mugler fembot couture

Even for the titanic duo of Zendaya and Law Roach, this is a pretty major moment
Zendaya at the Dune 2 world premiere on 15 February
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images f
Maddy Mussen16 February 2024

Everybody needs to mark their calendars for 6 May, because Zendaya’s appearance at the Dune 2 world premiere (on the same day she was announced as a Met Gala 2024 co-host) just made it very clear that she means business. 

The Emmy-winning actress descended onto the red carpet last night wearing an armoured Theirry Mugler fembot suit straight out of the archives. 

But it’s not just any archival piece - it’s from Mugler’s legends Autumn/Winter 1995 couture show, which holds a hallowed place in fashion history.

Zendaya at the Dune 2 world premiere in AW95 Mugler couture
Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pi

The show was an hour long, hosted in a French circus, and saw a whole roster of famous faces take to the runway. Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Shalom Harlow, Karen Mulder, Tippi Hedren, Julie Newmar, Elle Macpherson and Claudia Schiffer all walked, with Macpherson (for some reason) holding a dog. 

Think that’s iconic? Models were also seen lighting up cigars on the runway while they walked. Actually, no one really “walked” - compared to the uniform, almost military-like procession of runway models these days, the models at Mugler AW95 pranced, showboated and sashayed. It still feels as daring now as it did then, right amidst the demure comfort of 90s minimalism.

Zendaya at the Dune 2 world premiere in Mugler AW25 couture
Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pi

The original fembot piece was worn by German supermodel Nadja Auermann, who carefully emerged onto the runway and teetered around in her metallic form. But last night it came back to life on the body of Zendaya, who alongside stylist Law Roach marked fashion history by rocking it to the premiere of Dune 2.

And this wasn’t just a look, this was a message: Yesterday, Zendaya was announced as one of the co-hosts of the 2024 Met Gala, alongside Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth and Anna Wintour.

Hours later, Zendaya chooses to debut an incredibly rare showstopper from the fashion hall of fame. Coincidence? I think not. Expect to see big things from Zendaya this year at the Met Gala, with all eyes on her as co-host. 

Zendaya at the 2019 Met Gala
Invision/AP

Plus, the dress code for this year is “The Garden of Time” which focuses on “fleeting beauty,” and the exhibition is entitled “Sleeping Beauty: Reawakening Fashion” which puts a heavy focus on archival pieces resurrected from their graves. Given that Zendaya just completed half of the assignment on a random Thursday in February, we cannot wait to see what she has planned for the first Monday in May.

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