When Zendaya makes an appearance on the red carpet, the world pays attention. It’s significant, then, when the actor uses her platform to champion emerging designers—as she did during the Dune: Part Two press tour this week.
For a photocall in Mexico City, Zendaya wore a custom look by London-based brand Torishéju (her first to appear on the red carpet), styled by Law Roach and based on look seven from the designer’s spring/summer 2024 show. Comprising a twisted halter-neck crop top and a red and black maxi skirt with an extreme split, the ensemble was perfectly in keeping with the warrior-princess theme of the actor’s Dune press tour wardrobe so far. (Zendaya, along with her co-star Timothée Chalamet, is a fan of method dressing on the red carpet.)
British-Nigerian-Brazilian designer Torishéju Dumi quickly marked herself out as one to watch with her buzzy Paris Fashion Week debut in October, which was opened by none other than Naomi Campbell and closed by model of the moment Paloma Elsesser, as well as being styled by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson. Inspired by her west African heritage, Dumi’s designs are informed by traditional wrappers, and play with deconstructed tailoring.
It’s been a whirlwind four months for the Central Saint Martins graduate, who also appeared on the cover of British Vogue’s sustainability-themed January 2024 issue, alongside fellow designers Priya Ahluwalia and Tolu Coker. “Sustainability to me is about making do with what you have. That’s in my DNA,” Dumi said in the cover interview. “The fabrics that I work with are always offcuts. There’s so much leftover fabric out there.”
Of course, Zendaya has form when it comes to supporting rising designers, with the actor being an early champion of both Peter Do and Maximilian Davis’s Ferragamo. As the star spends an increasing amount of time in the UK with her partner Tom Holland, expect to see more emerging London brands in her wardrobe in the weeks and months to come.
