On July 6, Zendaya stepped onto the red carpet at the London premiere of the Odyssey wearing a stunning Schiaparelli couture gown. The dress had a sculpted white breastplate, an ancient Greek statue-inspired molded bodice with lacing at the back and a floor-length skirt made of beaded fringe that faded from pearl white into metallic grey.
It became the biggest fashion moment of the week within minutes. By the next day, many people were already calling it one of the defining looks of Zendaya’s Odyssey press tour, adding another chapter to her deliberate and carefully planned fashion story. At this pont, her red carpet appearances are major cultural events.
The Story Behind the Dress
The dress was unveiled by designer Daniel Roseberry as the final look during Schiaparelli’s Fall/Winter 2026 couture show in Paris. Just hours later, Zendaya wore it at her London premiere.
It sounds almost unbelievable, but Law Roach -who has styled Zendaya for years,was sitting front row at that Paris show when he saw the dress. He quickly arranged to fly the gown to London by private jet so Zendaya could wear it that same night.
The Zendaya Schiaparelli breastplate dress perfectly matched the Greek goddess theme that had been running throughout The Odyssey press tour. It featured a bright white silicone bodice that looked like glossy porcelain, complete with sculpted details along the ribs and abs. The corset-style lacing at the back pulled in tightly at the waist, resting over a floor-length ombré beaded fringe skirt that gradually transformed from crystal white to shimmering metallic grey. She paired the look with a diamond necklace from Chopard, shimmery inner-corner eyeliner, and a loosely braided hairdo.
During a photo call in London earlier that same day, she had worn a custom ivory Jacquemus gown inspired by Athena. She continued that visual narrative seamlessly with the Zendaya Schiaparelli breastplate dress.
Meet the Image Architect
Law Roach is Zendaya’s personal stylist behind some of her most iconic fashion looks. For years, Roach has stated that he prefers the title “image architect,” a term he went ahead to trademark. His job does not end in simply choosing beautiful clothes for events. More than that, he matches them with the individual’s persona and public image at the given time.
Roach grew up on the South Side of Chicago and studied psychology at Chicago State University. He first opened a vintage clothing store in Chicago and another in Harlem. His store is called Deliciously Vintage. He came into the limelight when Kanye West was photographed shopping in Deliciously Vintage in 2009.
That single moment helped introduce Roach to the fashion industry. It opened doors for him to build his client list without the usual route of internships or working under established stylists. In 2011, when Zendaya was a 14-year-old Disney star, she met Roach through a family friend, and they’ve worked together ever since.
Roach has worked with Zendaya through her evolution from a Disney actress into an Emmy-winning performer, a leading star in major film franchises, and one of the world’s biggest fashion icons capable of turning a piece like the Zendaya Schiaparelli breastplate dress into a instant global phenomenon.
His client list also includes Céline Dion, Ariana Grande, Anya Taylor-Joy, Kerry Washington, and most recently Tom Holland. He became the first Black stylist to appear on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter’s Stylists & Stars issue. In 2022, he won the first-ever CFDA Stylist Award.
In 2023, he announced he was stepping back from styling most clients but chose to continue working with Zendaya—a decision that paved the way for viral moments like the Zendaya Schiaparelli breastplate dress. He later returned to styling more broadly in April 2025 working with Ryan Destiny, and is currently working with Ariana Grande on her 2026 tour.
A Decade of Iconic Style
The consistency behind every fashion choice has made Zendaya and Law Roach’s partnership remarkable. They revived vintage pieces from designers like Mugler, Versace, and Vivienne Westwood long before wearing archival fashion became a major red carpet trend. Investing in archival pieces requires an eye for craftsmanship, also learning how to spot quality clothes through seams, linings, and buttons when building your own wardrobe.
In 2019, at the Met Gala, Zendaya arrived dressed as Cinderella, with Roach as the fairy godfather. Together they created a breathtaking view that remains one of the most iconic fashion moments of the past decade.
More recently, during the Challengers press tour, Zendaya’s tennis-inspired outfits helped turn “tenniscore” into a global trend—a philosophy they’ve even translated into footwear through their official On x Zendaya & Law Roach Cloudtilt Moon Sneakers.
He took the risk of flying the Schiaparelli breastplate dress straight from a Paris runway to a London premiere on the very same day. It was the result of more than a decade of trust, planning and shared creative vision between Zendaya and Law Roach.
Lessons for Your Own Personal Brand
Zendaya and Roach’s partnership serves up three simple personal branding lessons you can apply to your own life today.
1. Start with a clear identity: Even though Zendaya’s looks change from one event to another. Whether it’s old Hollywood glamour, vintage fashion or this year’s Greek goddess theme, every one of her outfits is always connected to her persona. Whether growing your business or shaping your role as a CEO or polishing your LinkedIn page make it around your personal identity, then match your style to fit that brand.
2. Your appearance communicates before you speak: Law Roach has always said that his work is about building identity and not just choosing clothes. What you wear to a client meeting or an industry event sends signals about your professionalism, confidence and understanding of the environment you’re in.
3. Ask for an opinion: Even if you cannot hire a professional stylist, you can still gain valuable advice by asking a trusted friend for honest feedback before your next big meeting. This will help you see options you would not have ordinarily considered on your own.
What feels bold and confident in social situations will be too dramatic in more conservative professional settings. Professionals who move between different cultures adjust their style to fit their environment without losing their identity. The persona stays the same but the expression changes. That’s worth learning from Zendaya’s Odyssey fashion story.
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Staff writer at Women Digest covering beauty, fashion, wellness and life.