Zendaya’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day Dress Honors This Late Black Designer
It’s comic book-worthy.
At this point, we can all trust that Zendaya never shows up to a premiere with just one outfit. After all, as stylist Law Roach says, “there’s always a second dress.” That held true for Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s London premiere, where the actor’s second look of the night paid tribute to one of American fashion’s greatest Black designers — and had a special reference to Mary Jane “MJ” Watson, too.
As shared on Instagram by Roach, Zendaya wore a striped dress by LaQuan Smith. The custom piece included a halter silhouette with black-and-white stripes, finished by a red ruffled hem. If the outfit looks straight out of a vintage comic book, well, that’s because it is. Roach shared that her look was directly inspired by a Mary Jane Watson paper doll dress from the Spider-Man comics, which was specially made in 1987 by the late fashion designer Willi Smith — who was regarded as the most successful Black fashion designer alive at the time. As with many of Zendaya’s other looks from Spider-Man: Brand New Day outings, Roach finished the actor’s outfit with a pair of white Christian Louboutin pumps. Diamond drop earrings and rings added a sprinkling of movie star-worthy glamour.
Zendaya’s revival of Willi Smith’s paper doll project showed a distinct reverence for Black fashion history. Smith’s designs left a mark on the fashion industry prior to his death, also in 1987. Under his brand WilliWear Limited, he released colorful, modern pieces that were both affordable and flattering. The designer’s reach also extended beyond fashion, as he made costumes for films like Spike Lee’s School Daze and even collaborated on a line of T-shirts with artists including Keith Haring.
The look also continued Roach’s “method dressing” approach to styling. The actress’ first look of the evening, a white Tamara Ralph Couture dress lined in crystals, added another ensemble to her repertoire that merged high fashion with spider-like details. It’s a practice she’s shown around the world with husband Tom Holland while promoting Spider-Man: Brand New Day, wearing everything from vintage and fresh-off-the-runway couture to dresses with spiderweb and arachnid embellishments.
Though Zendaya’s latest Spider-Man tour is ending soon, it’s not the only project she’s balanced — and dressed impeccably for — this year. Earlier in the spring, she wore wedding-inspired pieces while promoting A24’s The Drama with Robert Pattinson. This summer has seen her master overlapping press tours for both Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, complete with themed beauty looks to match. Plus, with Dune: Part Three heading to theaters this winter, she’ll certainly end 2026 on an equally fashionable high note.
