For the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Oct. 19, Zendaya and image architect Law Roach had one assignment: show the Cleveland, Ohio, crowd the best Cher homage they've ever seen without any singing. They aced it in a vintage, very-nearly-naked dress.
Zendaya turned to Bob Mackie's 2001 "Foreign Intrigue" collection to pull two rare vintage pieces referencing a look Cher first wore on The Cher Show in 1975. Z first walked the carpet (and backstage) in a belted white evening coat with exaggerated lapels lined in gold bugle beads and stones, per Law Roach's Instagram Stories. Within minutes, she peeled it off to reveal her naked dress: a shimmering gold suggestion of a garment with a criss-crossing top, a skirt with a thigh-high slit, and nothing but intertwining straps lacing around Zendaya's torso.
Roach also confirmed Zendaya's gown, the finale look from Bob Mackie's original collection shown at New York Fashion Week back in February 2001, was beaded by hand with diamond, gold, and iridescent bugle beads and stones. She paired it with metallic gold pointed-toe pumps and long brown extensions reminiscent of Cher's signature hairstyle. The fall manicure from a few days ago? Gone, and replaced with naked nails once again.
Zendaya doesn't often wear naked dresses, so the piece's revealing nature alone was enough to earn headlines. But make no mistake: The silhouette is just as deliberate as the styling choices Z and Roach made throughout the Challengers and Dune: Part II press tours.
This styling duo always has a keen eye for meaningful references, and they doubled-down on their fashion history for Cher's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. First, the criss-crossing straps and glittering torso detailing, for one, recall Cher's dress for a duet of "I'm a Woman" with Raquel Willis on The Cher Show in 1975. (The original version was more white than gold, with metallic detailing on the hems.) Second, Bob Mackie is one of the most prevalent designers in Cher's extensive archive of stage and screen fashion. If Zendaya could wear anyone to present Cher with an honor referencing her entire career, it would be in the label she wore for decades.
After stunning onlookers (and the internet) with her vintage naked dress, Zendaya awed the audience with her remarks to introduce Cher. "Where do I even begin? There is not one person in this room, in this country, and pretty much in the whole world who doesn’t know who I’m here to honor tonight," she said. "So iconic, she only needs one name."
Fashion lovers know another person Zendaya could have been describing.
