Everyone knows Zendaya is a queen, and for tonight's Met Gala, she took that descriptor literally. The evening's theme, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," inspired the singer and actress to don the armor of one of Catholicism's most famed icons: Saint Joan of Arc. Her custom metallic Versace gown features an armored neck-and-shoulder piece, sparkling chainmail, a spiked belt, and a modest train. Zendaya also adopted a cropped wig in the style of The Maid of Orléans' famous bob.
The dress looks just as cool from the back:
(A quick history lesson: Joan of Arc was a teenaged French peasant who fought bravely for the French during the Hundred Years' War. In 1431, the English captured her, put her on trial, and convicted her, burning her at the stake when she was just 19 years old. Pope Callixtus III named her a martyr in 1456.)
So, how do we make this biopic happen?
Despite the intricacy of this Versace number, it's a slightly more minimalistic look than some of Zendaya's Met Gala gowns of yore. In 2017, she wore a vibrant parrot-printed Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda number (with matching lipstick, to boot) to the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between"-themed celebration:
In 2016, she channeled Cleopatra in a shimmery gold Michael Kors Collection dress at the gala honoring the "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" exhibit:
And in 2015, she donned a starburst-detailed Fausto Puglisi dress for the "China: Through the Looking Glass" event.
