Fashion can serve as a powerful commentary on social issues, and Zendaya’s stunning appearance at the 2015 Academy Awards illustrates this perfectly. During a conversation at the Teen Vogue Summit in Los Angeles on November 23, Zendaya’s longtime stylist, Law Roach, reflected on the importance of that iconic moment.
While the actress’s off-the-shoulder ivory Vivienne Westwood gown was visually impressive, it was her choice to wear dreadlocks that garnered the most attention—particularly following Giuliana Rancic’s controversial remark on E!’s Fashion Police, suggesting that Zendaya resembled someone who “smells like patchouli oil or weed.”
Zendaya’s Oscars moment turned into a movement for hairstyle acceptance
The backlash against Rancic’s comments was swift, leading Zendaya to address the issue directly in an Instagram post. In her statement, she highlighted the fine line between humor and disrespect, noting, “I was left in awe by a comment about my hair at the Oscars. Not because I was enjoying praise for my outfit, but because I was confronted with ignorant slurs and blatant disrespect.
To suggest that an 18-year-old woman with locs must smell of patchouli oil or ‘weed’ is not only a harmful stereotype but extremely offensive. While I don’t typically respond to negativity, some remarks must not go unchallenged.”
The public outcry not only prompted Rancic to issue a formal apology but also initiated a broader discussion about discrimination surrounding race-based hairstyles, contributing to the passage of The CROWN Act a few years later, as Roach explained.
“Fashion can indeed convey political messages, and we should leverage it to express our beliefs and opinions about current events, as our voices can effect change,” the stylist asserted. “That one incident actually transformed the acceptance of Black hairstyles in educational settings and the workplace. While we didn’t intend to make a grand statement, the fallout from that incident played a crucial role in the emergence of The CROWN Act.”
The CROWN Act—an acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair—was established in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, with the support of then-State Senator Holly J. Mitchell from California.
Its purpose is to protect individuals from discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending legal protections to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools.
Although Zendaya’s choice to wear locs at the 2015 Oscars had a huge societal impact, Roach noted that this was not their original aim when designing her look for the event.
“It was something we did spontaneously, unaware of the potential consequences,” he stated during his recent discussion at the Teen Vogue Summit. “However, we are thankful that it sparked a global conversation about what is deemed acceptable for Black hair, particularly for Black women.”
