Zendaya has been named the 2021 recipient of the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Icon Award.
The CFDA Fashion Awards to be held Nov. 10 at New York City’s Seagram Building is to award the Dune star, and would now be placing her to join fellow recipients such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Pharrell, Jennifer Lopez and Naomi Campbell.
At 25-years-old, Zendaya will be the youngest person ever to receive the distinguished honor.
She is also recognized for her 2013 launch of Zaya by Zendaya, a clothing line that helped to pioneer gender-fluid designs and a more inclusive size range.
She has also worked with CFDA board member Tommy Hilfiger on the Tommy x Zendaya collection and is a spokesperson for Lancôme, Bulgari, and Valentino.
“I think about red carpets as having their own characters and narratives. We build a little story for all the looks. It’s like an extension of my acting career in a weird way — you just pop this wig on or whatever it is,” she shared in a statement.
“Clothes sometimes are very emotional, so I get to embody these different facets — maybe they’re of myself, or maybe they’re alter egos. But I get to meet these different women through clothes,” she continued.
Another history-making moment at this year’s CFDA awards comes from fashion designer Dapper Dan who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
He will be the first Black designer to receive the award and the first designer to earn the honor without ever having a formal runway show.
