Zendaya has once again blurred the line between fashion and art with a daring new Elle magazine shoot. After all, the shoot featured one of Zendaya’s boldest looks yet. The celebrated fashion icon posed, covered almost entirely in layered wooden beads. This way, she ended up transforming what appeared to be a dramatic Balmain necklace into an avant-garde top.
The striking editorial instantly caught attention online for its earthy aesthetic, unconventional styling, and raw beauty-inspired imagery that felt worlds away from traditional red carpet glamour. Even her hairstyle and makeup choices were clearly on point for this look, leaving her fans gushing for more.
Zendaya repurposes a beaded Balmain necklace as the boldest top for Elle shoot
In the cover image, Zendaya posed against textured earth-toned ground, while dozens of chunky brown wooden beads cascaded across her chest and shoulders like a sculptural armor. The oversized Balmain accessory featured layers upon layers of polished beads in varying sizes and geometric cuts. This ended up creating a statement piece that doubled as clothing. The whole ensemble was just applause-worthy.
Another close-up image of Zendaya clearly highlighted the intricate craftsmanship of the necklace. It showed how the strands draped together to create a bold, tribal-inspired silhouette. The shoot leaned heavily into raw, elemental beauty. In fact, even Zendaya’s makeup featured bronzed skin, softly smoked-out eyes, sculpted cheekbones, and muted brown lips. The makeup perfectly matched the warm, earthy palette of the styling.
Furthermore, uniquely smudged dirt details across Zendaya’s face and arms added to the rugged aesthetic, making the editorial feel cinematic and almost desert-inspired. In fact, even her hair was swept back in a tousled, voluminous style that kept the focus firmly on the statement beads and dramatic facial structure. Fans across social media quickly praised the fearless styling choice, with many calling the shoot one of Zendaya’s most fashion-forward editorials yet.
