PHOTOS: Zendaya photographed by Steven Klein for ELLE latest cover

Zendaya photographed by Steven Klein for ELLE latest cover.

“I’m angry at him to this day,” Zendaya jokes. “Like, why would you put me in this? Bitch, you could’ve done better!” She laughs. The outfit was among her first collaborations with Roach, her longtime stylist, whom she met through a family friend when she was 14 and Roach was running his Chicago boutique, Deliciously Vintage.

Reminiscing with Zendaya about fashion stumbles she made (and still pulled off) when she was practically a baby reminds me of how much she’s grown up in the public eye. Over time, we’ve seen her go from charming tween ’fits to statement-making, Roach-styled looks that make you wonder if God is their personal tailor on Earth. But Zendaya’s style transformation is just one way she’s evolved past her roots. Under the luxe amber glow of a crystal chandelier, she explains that, on the cusp of 27, she’s entering an era of risk.

Zendaya on her relationship with Tom Holland and keeping parts of her life private to protect her peace:

“Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public…I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. But also, I do have control over what I choose to share. It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide. That’s not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now.” (ELLE).

Sitting across from me at a table in a private back room at Crossroads Kitchen, a high-end vegan restaurant in West Hollywood, Zendaya grabs her phone to share another photo of the very first outfit Roach ever picked out for her: a chrome-colored metallic blazer and miniskirt combo she wore to Justin Bieber’s 2011 Never Say Never documentary premiere that she considered “edgy” as a teen and now admits is cute. Back then, Zendaya wanted her styling to be age-appropriate, so even her juvenile ensembles are more adorably nostalgic than questionable.