While Zendaya didn’t take home an Emmy this year, all eyes were definitely on her. The Television Academy even posted a video from the carpet captioned “All Eyes on Zendaya at the 78th Emmys Carpet.” She wore a custom Prada dress, and Entertainment Weekly said she looked “stunning”.
However, the main attraction was her hair.
Zendaya has been rocking her short hair all summer, especially during the “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” premieres. But, seeing it at the Emmy Awards felt different to me. With the Emmys being her first awards show since turning 30, I believe she was trying to make a statement with her haircut. She is now stepping into her Halle Berry, and I’m here for it.
Now, I’m not just referring to the short haircut; I’m referring to the type of Hollywood woman Halle Berry represents. Not only was Berry the first Black woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress but she was also simultaneously known for her beauty and star power that just exuded grown and sexy effortlessly. She continues to dominate Hollywood not only with her acting, but with the dozens of songs mentioning her across hip-hop and rap. Her name has become synonymous with beauty for over three decades.
There’s a certain level of maturity there, and with Zendaya turning 30 years old, she is now officially stepping into that space.
We’ve watched Zendaya grow up before our eyes from her Disney Channel days to her most recent projects, including “Euphoria” and the Spider-Man franchise. I think because so many of us have watched her since she was young, there will always be a part of us that sees the child star version of Zendaya. While I don’t think she’s trying to make us forget that version, I do think she’s trying to get us to see that she is not the girl we saw on “Shake It Up” or “K.C. Undercover” anymore. Yes, we’ve seen her in teenage and young adult roles the last few years, but she actually hasn’t been a teenager since 2015.
As a fashion icon, Zendaya and her style is viewed by the public as another form of communication. Especially with her long time stylist, Law Roach, helping bring each look to life. Who What Wear described her red carpet, premiere and photo-call looks as “an extension of the project she’s promoting.” However, I think this time the project she was “promoting” was herself letting everyone know she’s a grown woman now, and not the girl from Disney Channel And what better way to do that than at the Emmys?
According to Elle Magazine, Zendaya has always been beautiful. That has never been the question, but sometimes a change in your image makes people see you differently. That’s what I think this haircut does. It feels more mature. More confident. More grown.
She’s not a young Hollywood star anymore. She’s officially an established Hollywood woman. And honestly, I think this hair is just the beginning.
Zendaya had a stacked year with five projects, including “Dune: Part Three,” serving as her finale, which is set to release on Dec.18, 2026. However, she has already announced in her interview with Fandango earlier this year that after her final project this year,she’s “disappearing for a little bit.” Even though we don’t know how long that will be for yet, I do think that when she comes back, she will be taking on more mature roles to match the new era she is officially in.