Back in 1987, Willi Smith, a New York City–based designer with a keen interest in democratizing fashion, took an unusual celebrity client. Marvel Comics commissioned him to design Mary Jane Watson’s wedding dress in celebration of Spider-Man’s 25th anniversary. The resulting series of sketches—a traditional lace-adorned white gown, a blue miniskirt set, and a black-and-white striped mermaid dress—were featured inThe Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 comic book issue. This week, for her latest outing on theSpider-Man: Brand New Daypress tour, Zendaya brought one of these vintage looks to life.
At the afterparty for the London premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Dayon Wednesday night, Zendaya changed out of her disco goddess couture gown and into a custom LaQuan Smith look that paid homage to the ’80s comics. In a video shared to Instagram, stylist Law Roach said he reached out to Smith to recreate the sketch for the occasion. “There’s always a second dress,” he teased in the caption.
Naturally, the resulting ensemble put a LaQuan Smith spin on the original Willi Smith vision. Keeping with the signature two-toned stripes and bright red rippling mermaid skirt, it eschewed the statement belt and ruffled gloves. Smith also traded the original dress’s turtleneck silhouette in favor of a sexier plunging halter. For the ultimate Zendaya finishing touch, the look swapped open-toed black heels for her preferred white Christian Louboutin pumps. In an Instagram caption, Smith described the final outfit as “a tribute to the past” and “an homage to Willi Smith.”
Willi Smith tragically passed away from AIDS-related complications at the age of 39 in 1987, just two months before his Spider-Man dress was unveiled in a live reenactment of the wedding at New York City’s Shea Stadium. Nearly four decades later, the late designer’s legacy—in fashion and in the beloved Marvel universe—lives on.
