Zendaya’s impeccable fashion sense has inspired TV mom Nika King to bring her “A-game” on the red carpet.
“I remember she invited me to the ‘Spider-Man’ premiere and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m gonna be on the red carpet with her,” the “Euphoria” star, 44, exclusively tells Pvnew Style.
“‘I need to make sure my style is on point,’” she recalls thinking to herself. “‘I have to step up my A-game.’”
The actress — who plays Leslie Bennett to Zendaya’s Rue on HBO’s hit drama — notably wore a strapless, multicolored print gown to 2019’s “Spider-Man: Far from Home” premiere. She accessorized her look with a chunky bangle, long gold earrings and a whimsical headpiece.
“I have a pretty good sense of style. I love to dress. We’re both tall and slender,” King says of her and Zendaya’s sartorial similarities.
“I’m sample size, but I got a little more booby-boobs,” she acknowledges. “But I just look at her fashion and … I see what she brings to the carpet and the looks and I’m like, ‘I want to make sure that I’m doing what I enjoy.’”
While King marvels at the succession of memorable looks Zendaya has crafted alongside celeb stylist Law Roach — ranging from sexy to sophisticated — she personally hunts for ensembles made by black designers.
“My biggest approach [to fashion] is [wearing] black designers. I feel like they don’t get their recognition, they don’t get the clout I feel like they deserve, they don’t get their flowers,” she explains.
“You have all of the well-known labels … People are always promoting them in rap songs and on red carpets, but I want to see more black designers come to the forefront because we need that equity in the fashion world.”
King currently works with “a couple of stylists” and requests that they pull pieces from fashion houses founded by black talent.
“And you know what? Sometimes it’s hard … [but] that’s been my biggest goal — going after black designers and elevating them because I love my people and I want to see everybody win,” says the industry vet, who gravitates towards bright colors and bold patterns.
“I want to see everybody get the opportunity to shine.”
King rocked a stunning silver suit by one of her favorite black designers, Pretty Guerilla, for festivities ahead of the 95th annual Academy Awards ceremony on March 12.
“We found this metallic material and then we did a lace corset and some boots and people were like, ‘Yo!’” she raves, adding that she purposefully wore her dreadlocks in an intricate updo to emphasize the “Afro-futuristic” vibe she was going for.
“I saw the hair and I saw the outfit in my mind and I’m like, ‘OK, put it together.’ And my designer, Pretty Guerrilla, he nailed it and so we did that for the night before for the Oscars.”
While King is proud of the fashion moments she’s created in recent years, she tells Pvnew Style that she is in search of her “own Law Roach” to solidify herself as a style icon à la Zendaya.
“The thing is, I can dress myself … but I want to collaborate with people because I feel like what I want … is a good combo team like Law Roach and Zendaya,” she shares.
“So I’m looking for my own Law Roach. I’m looking for that one person who’s going to elevate my style.”
