Zendaya—the girl is so cool, she doesn't even really need a last name. Lucky for all of us, the actress-singer-designer (not to mention, someone who runs in Beyonce's inner circle) is bringing her coolness to the masses with the launch of her clothing line Daya by Zendaya that comprises a range of streetwear-chic pieces, all priced under $200, with most under $100. And to celebrate her clothing line, Zendaya will be making appearances at pop-up shops in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 5. Let that sink in: She's going to be physically present at all three in one day (more info below). What is this sorcery? But we digress. We caught up with her at the NYC location a few days early to chat with her about her designs.
"[Stylist] Law Roach, my style partner in crime, and I are very inspired by people, what they wanted, what they needed, what they were asking for and I think that’s what really drove the line," she says, calling out the lack of access to affordable, high-quality fashion. "I wanted to create great pieces of clothing that wouldn't fall apart as soon as you got home. It's going to feel good, look good with a realistic price point."
Our three favorite words: add to cart.
On top of that, she was adamant (or in her words: "very, very picky") about bringing her vision to life, which meant clocking in long hours to get the job done right. She wanted a diverse cast of models of different sizes and backgrounds, both for the campaign and the site. Another non-negotiable? The inclusion of gender-neutral pieces. "I wanted to make sure that everyone felt included, felt like they were thought about in the making of this line," she says, emphatically. "I didn't want to alienate anybody. I wanted there to be a level of androgyny, because that's what fashion is about—fashion should be much more involved than that."
In the end, it's a line-up that's very Zendaya at its core, with versatile designs that lend themselves to mixing and matching, like a slip dress and a hoodie or a girly ruffled dress with a badass bomber. And everything is available today, which you can buy online or at any one of the three pop-ups on Saturday. Want more Zendaya? (We mean, who doesn't?) Today also marks the launch of her app, which you can download for an insider look at her life.
"It’s not only a way for people to connect with me more, but really get to see more of my life, get a closer look at who I am, what I do, what I like," she says. "And there's a lot of goofy and funny things there, because I like to make people laugh and it’s just me being stupid; it's just who I am!"
New York Daya by Zendaya location: 350 West Broaday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; Chicago location: 108 North State Street from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; Los Angeles location: 441 N. Fairfax Ave from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Graphic Flight Bomber
"The bomber is so great," Zendaya says. "I wanted it to feel luxurious but at a price point that was realistic."
Oversized Velvet Jumpsuit
"This is a very comfortable jumpsuit," Zendaya says. "I'm telling you, you could sleep in it. It's like a giant Snuggie that you can wear to dinner."
Mesh Ruffle Dress
"There's a lack of good pieces in a reasonable price point," Zendaya says. "You can find dresses, but not the dress, like this ruffly one."
Satin Slip Dress
"This one is cut so beautifully, I could get it in a thousand different colors," Zendaya says. (Another version also comes in blush pink.)
Patched Military Anorak
"This one is great," Zendaya says. "I wanted this collection to hit my vibe and just have fun with fashion."
