Guess Who’s Bringing Crazy in Love Back – Zendaya
2021 has brought a lot of uncertainty and circumstances to navigate, but Zendaya has highlighted a return to the 2000s. Baguette bags and baby tees have dominated the wardrobes of it-girls and top models. Recently we have seen these trends transitioning from streetwear and Instagram pages onto the red carpet.
The house of Versace sits firmly as the high-fashion answer for early 2000s nostalgia. This was notably seen in the form of Dua Lipa’s Versace gown at the Grammys this March. The sparkling butterfly and mesh gown solidified Dua’s position as a Y2K trendsetter.
Dua’s dress was laced with Swarovski Crystals, replacing the traditional sequins which enveloped the butterfly camisole. Uniquely, the mesh gown proved that not only can fashion be recycled, but it can be altered. These alterations can suit current trends and a high-fashion environment.
Modern Versace
Mere decades earlier, Mariah Carey and Salma Hayek wore the illustrious butterfly camisole, respectively. Can we anticipate this look making a comeback in two decades?
Continuing with our theme of recognising 2000s styles returning, we look into the Versace SS20 show.
Jennifer Lopez (J.Lo) took to the catwalk at the Versace SS2020 show in her iconic “jungle dress”. This sent the fashion world into a frenzy. J.Lo took to the catwalk twice, in which she closed the show and took the final designer’s walk with Donatella. Donatella wore the original gown to the Met Gala in 1999 before J. Lo attended the Grammys in the same dress in 2000. The look was modernised by removing the gown’s sleeves and adding additional hip cut-outs.
Bringing back the famous dress 20 years after its original show perfectly accentuates fashion’s return to the early 2000s. Yet again, Versace was at the forefront of the movement.
Zendaya & Versace
Come 28th June, Versace has once again encapsulated the early 2000s revival as Zendaya stunned at the BET Awards. The Euphoria star wore a Versace revival gown which was quickly recognised as an ode to Beyoncé. The purple gown was elongated, compared to Beyoncé’s mini dress from her performance of Crazy in Love. 2003 Beyoncé twirled across the 2003 award ceremony stage, performing her biggest hits.
Zendaya clarified that her outfit was a homage to this performance by captioning her Instagram post with the song’s title. As a self-declared Beyoncé fan, it was clearly an intentional tribute by the young actress.
Although the ‘Y2K’ is making waves within the fashion industry, style constantly evolves. Dainty jewellery and sleek hairstyles were not trending during the noughties. Moreover, the gown was styled with purple heels and delicate earrings, compared to the lime green heels and chunky necklace worn by Beyoncé. Consequently, this proves that ‘Y2 K’ fashion does not equate to a complete return to the 2000s.
Beyoncé’s beachy waves were a staple of its time, but in recent years smooth buns, donned by Kendall Jenner; Bella Hadid; and Zendaya herself, have become the ‘it-girl hairstyle’. Zendaya’s contemporary styling and archival Versace gown perfectly epitomise the climate in the fashion industry as an ‘early noughties trends return but with a Gen-Z twist.’
