Valentino Must Be Euphoric: Zendaya Is the Luxury Label's Newest Ambassador

Is there a power on Earth greater than Zendaya? The obvious answer is, of course, yes. But if you watched her return to HBO’s Euphoria for the first of its two-part holiday special this weekend (shout out to Colman Domingo’s brilliant performance opposite her), you likely got the reference above. While this year hasn’t had much to offer in the way of good news, what’s undeniable is that the Disney kid turned ingenue turned Hollywood A-lister has indeed become a force to be reckoned with, having further cemented her star power in 2020, winning her first, history-making Emmy for her starring role in a show she also produces (and proving that Emmy was well-deserved with her performance in this weekend’s special).

Of course, Zendaya’s already well known as a fashion icon, having slain many a red carpet, shut down the Met Gala (twice), starred on countless magazine covers, collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger, and been one of the faces of Lancôme since early 2019. The next stop on her seemingly unstoppable climb? Maison Valentino, which this weekend announced its newest brand ambassador is—you guessed it—Zendaya.

“The reason why we chose Zendaya as the new face for Valentino is because she perfectly embodies and represents what Valentino is and stands for, today,” said Valentino Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli in a release obtained by Fashionista. “She is a powerful and fierce young woman that uses her talent and her work to express herself, her values and her generation as well.”

This weekend, the label debuted a video of the star’s first campaign shoot, a simple and romantic montage of a minimally made-up Zendaya posing with several bags from the label’s Garavani Roman Stud collection—styled, of course, by her longtime partner in fashion, Law Roach. “New connections between past, present and an imagined future,” the brand posted on Instagram. “Valentino is proud to announce that Creative Director [Pierpaolo Piccioli] has chosen [Zendaya] to represent a resignified Valentino, one where its core values evolve into a modern context.”

“I am honored to have been chosen as the face of Valentino,” said Zendaya of her new partnership in a statement. “I’m so excited to begin this amazing collaboration with Pierpaolo and the entire Valentino family,” adding on Instagram, “Thank you and can’t wait for what’s to come.”