I look at red carpet photos for a living, so I’m pretty used to gorgeous gowns and glam. But once in awhile, a premiere look absolutely stops me in my tracks—or, more accurately, my scroll—and literally takes my breath away. Enter Zendaya at the New York City premiere of The Odyssey, whose loose, undone (and extra-long) braid and soft, flushed makeup can only be described as “angelic.”
And I’m talking literally angelic, as the Emmy-winning actor wore a feathered strapless Matières Fécales gown with actual wings attached to her shoulders, leaning into the whole “I’m playing a legendary Greek goddess” theme of her red carpet dressing for the Odyssey press run. (She plays Athena in the movie, and while Athena doesn’t typically wear wings, she is sometimes depicted with them.)
Hairstylist Coree Moreno “effortless texture and romantic movement” with a beautifully soft fishtail braid that flowed all the way down Zendaya’s back to mid-hip. “The inspiration was modern romance with an effortless sensibility,” he tells Allure. “Zendaya’s gown had such an ethereal, sculptural presence that I wanted the hair to feel soft, lived-in, and full of movement. Rather than creating something overly polished, I focused on texture that felt naturally evolved throughout the day. The loose face-framing pieces and airy finish complemented the drama of the dress without competing with it.”
Moreno used a mix of Bellami Professional Tape-Ins and Wefts in shades Chocolate Rebel and Dark Brown to add length and fullness. One of the key products was Nexxus’s AIR SHAPE Workable Hold Texture Spray, which he misted through the mid-lengths and ends of Zendaya’s hair to add airy volume, texture, and hold without sacrificing movement or looking stiff or sticky. “Loose” was the key word here, as the hair was gathered gently back at the nape of her neck and braided into a “deconstructed fishtail braid” with the front portions left out of the style to frame her face in easy waves—waves that fluttered in the most gorgeous way as she walked the carpet. A few pieces of hair escaped the braid, adding a windswept texture to the overall style, and Moreno gently pulled apart sections of the braid for fullness and dimension. To lock in the look, he spritzed Zendaya’s hair with Nexxus’s Maxximum Firm Hold Hairspray.
Braids have been a key element of many of Zendaya’s The Odyssey looks, including the crown braid she wore to the London premiere and the milkmaid braids from Paris.“I’ve always believed that hair should carry emotion, not just shape,” Moreno wrote on Instagram alongside some gorgeous behind-the-scenes shots. “For this look, the goal was to create something that felt lived in, romantic, and weightless—as if it had always belonged to the moment.”
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