Disney star Zendaya pops up in 3 cities in 1 day to see fans and introduce her new clothing line
Screaming fans who waited hours in line, a phalanx of photographers and the sounds of eardrum-busting music. That’s the scene at fashion pop-up events where a celebrity designer makes an appearance.
Singer and actress Zendaya, 20, faced this pandemonium — not just once but three times on Nov. 5.
The star of the Disney Channel’s “K.C. Undercover,” who will be in next year’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” has joined the ever-growing ranks of celebrities, such as Rihanna, Beyoncé and Kanye West, who have diversified their brands with the addition of fashion collections and collaborations.
For the launch of her Daya by Zendaya label, the performer took on the ambitious goal of showing up at a trio of pop-up events in major U.S. cities on the same day.
“I wanted to make sure I could see as many of my fans as possible,” Zendaya said, upon arriving at her two-day Los Angeles pop-up in a space next to Canter’s Deli on Fairfax Avenue. “None of this is possible without my fans, and I really wanted to show my appreciation.”
She had started that morning in New York, where some fans had reportedly shown up at 4.30 a.m. to wait and catch Zendaya’s appearance at a pop-up there. She then jetted to Chicago for event No. 2 before flying to Los Angeles, arriving statuesque and red-carpet ready in a fitted black dress, her hair long and sleek, her makeup immaculate. She was heading back to New York immediately after her L.A. event.
“It’s crazy,” she conceded. “But it’s been the best day ever. It’s so weird. I thought nobody was going to come.”
Hundreds of people stood outside the pop-up space, trying to catch a glimpse of the star. “Oh my God, I think I saw her hair” was a comment heard in the crowd.
Inside the space, which stayed open through the weekend (the collection also is available online), the walls were painted black and videos of Zendaya ran on a loop; on a few racks were a small and mostly unisex offering of basic black sweatpants with the word “Daya” emblazoned on one thigh and oversized white T-shirts featuring Zendaya-approved words such as “chameleon” and “passion.”
Zendaya noted that one of her favorite pieces from her line was a military-inspired anorak with patches. She said the patches were personal to her — a peace sign, an Om symbol radiating from a sun and the numbers 5-1-0 (representing the area code for her native city of Oakland).
“The brand is all about self-empowerment and being positive,” she said. “I thought about people, what they wanted, needed and asked for, and this collection is a reflection of who I am.”
Selections from Daya by Zendaya range in price from $18 to $158 and are available at dayabyzendaya.com.
