Zendaya transformed into tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams
Zoe Le6-7 minutes 20/4/2024
Many people believe that Zendaya’s tenniscore wardrobe for the Challengers: Challengers promotional tour has come to an end after she changed her style with a Vera Wang evening dress. However, Zendaya and her stylist, Law Roach, proved everyone wrong!
It could be argued that the Vera Wang dress Zendaya wore to the Los Angeles premiere was a stepping stone to introduce her latest outfit, a black-and-white striped dress by Carolina Herrera. Both of these dresses have a tight corset-style top and a princess-style flared bottom part. However, if the design from Vera Wang did not seem to have any connection to the film’s tennis theme, the Carolina Herrera dress marked an unforgettable moment in tennis.
>>> REVIEW: GOODBYE TENNISCORE, ZENDAYA WEAR BALLETCORE DRESS FROM VERA WANG
Zendaya and Law Roach pay tribute to tennis prodigies Venus and Serena Williams
Carolina Herrera’s black and white dress does not have any elements reminiscent of tenniscore style. However, this design is associated with respect for the sports world for two tennis legends Venus Williams and Serena Williams.
Venus Williams began participating in professional tournaments in 1994, and her younger sister Serena since 1995, although before that both sisters had left impressive achievements in junior tournaments in the US. Having suddenly become stars, these two young athletes are often subjected to racism and disparagement of their appearance. They are called unfeminine and do not fit the elegant image of tennis players – a sport favored by the rich.
Overcoming these barriers, the two sisters received recognition from the high fashion industry when they appeared in Vogue magazine through a photo set by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz, in 1998.
Stylist Law Roach expressed his gratitude to the two tennis sisters on his personal Instagram: “We would like to praise the legends Venus and Serena Williams. We appreciate everything you two have done!”
To recreate the image of the legendary tennis duo, Law Roach assigned Wes Gordon, Creative Director of Carolina Herrera, the difficult task of recreating the evening dress once worn by two Grand Slam champions, Venus. Williams and Serena Williams present. The large black and white stripes have an extremely complex structure, because they must look seamless between the upper body and lower skirt, but still create the corset element that tightens the waist.
The hair is the most special highlight of the photo set
If the black and white dress creates visual appeal, the hair of Venus and Serena Williams in the 1998 photo set is an important cultural highlight. Because their hair style highlights their African culture.
During that period, women of color were scorned for having curly hair or having their hair braided close to the head in a corn row style. Therefore, the world’s leading fashion magazine promoting the original beauty of women of color has created an earthquake. After that, the two sisters also continuously wore beaded braided hair in public.
It was the sisters’ mother, Oracene Price, who braided beads for her two children before the matches. Beaded braided hair became an identifying feature of the sisters’ court style for many years from the 1990s to the 2000s.
This hairstyle even caused controversy on the football field. During the 1999 Australian Open, a bead fell out of Venus’s hair, leading to the umpire awarding 1 point to her opponent due to this unfortunate “incident”.
However, the Williams sisters still steadfastly pursue their signature style. Serena strongly stated: “Venus and I are proud of our braided hair. We are proud to be black people in the tennis industry. And that is what created a special impression.”
Paying tribute to two athletes who helped change perceptions about the participation of people of color in a sport dominated by white people, Zendaya placed emphasis on recreating the sisters’ beaded braids. Venus and Serena Williams. She asked two famous hairstylists, Kim Kimble and Ursula Stephen, to create her look.
Venus Williams supports a film with a tennis theme
Venus Williams herself also showed her support for the film by attending the Challengers: Challengers premiere in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 16. Here, the genius tennis player attracted all eyes with a gray mini dress from Vivienne Westwood.
In a red carpet interview, Zendaya expressed her joy at recognizing the presence of one of the greatest tennis legends of all time. The female star shared: “When I heard that Venus was coming to the premiere, I couldn’t believe it! It was a miracle. I know Serena watched the movie, but I was really worried when Venus saw me playing tennis [on film].”