Zendaya Takes Flight at Met Gala in Peacock-Inspired Gown (and Her Most Dramatic Makeup Look Yet!)

The actress hit another grand slam as she wore a peacock-inspired dress by John Galliano at the Met Gala, her first in five years

<p>Theo Wargo/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty</p>

Theo Wargo/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

Zendaya may have just served up her most dramatic Met Gala look yet.

After a five-year absence from the fashion event, the Challengers actress made her grand return to the Met steps as she served as a co-chair.

For this year’s event, themed “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” Zendaya wore a head-turning gown by Maison Margiela’s John Galliano, per Vogue, styled by her longtime collaborator Law Roach. The dress featured many intricate details throughout, including black, blue and green tulle and berries and leaves draping over her waist.

Zendaya brought the drama with her beauty look, rocking smoky eyes and maroon lipstick, which perfectly accented her striking bird earrings and huge feather fascinator.

<p>Jamie McCarthy/Getty </p>

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Ahead of the May 6 event, Zendaya stepped out for Anna Wintour's famous pre-Met dinner, where she wore a white vintage lace John Galliano gown from the designer's fall 1998 collection.

<p>Theo Wargo/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty</p> Zendaya attends The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metropolitan

Theo Wargo/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

Zendaya attends The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metropolitan

The stunning ensemble featured a sheer pink floral top embroidered with butterflies, which is most likely a nod to this year's dress code being "The Garden of Time," inspired by a short story by JG Ballard.

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Related: A Complete Timeline of Met Gala Themes

This year's Costume Institute exhibit will feature approximately 250 items — including 15 significant pieces, such as an 1877 Charles Frederick Worth silk satin ball gown — that span over 400 years of history.

The dress code is heavily influenced by “The Garden of Time,” J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story of the same name as well, as "fleeting beauty."

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Zendaya at the 2015 Met Gala
Zendaya at the 2015 Met Gala

Related: The Most Surprising Rules You Didn't Know Met Gala Attendees Have to Follow

Zendaya is certainly no stranger to the Met Gala, having made headlines with her eye-catching outfits through the years. She made her Met Gala debut in 2015 as she wore a custom Fausto Puglisi sun-motif dress, inspired by that year's theme, "China: Through the Looking Glass."

Since then, she has graced us with many notable looks, including her Joan of Arc-inspired chainmail Atelier Versace dress in 2018 and her Cinderella Tommy Hilfiger gown in 2019, the latter marking her last time at the event.

John Lamparski/Getty Zendaya at the 2019 Met Gala with stylist Law Roach
John Lamparski/Getty Zendaya at the 2019 Met Gala with stylist Law Roach

Related: The Best Met Gala Entrances, from Lady Gaga to Rihanna

While visiting Live with Kelly and Mark in April, Zendaya opened up about her five-year hiatus from the Met Gala, noting that the event is always a bit "terrifying," even though she’s a seasoned pro.

"Going up the steps is very daunting, and I haven't been back for maybe four or five years," she said. "So this is, like, my first time back at the Met in quite a while."

She also opened up about her close partnership with stylist Roach, who she has been working with since she was 14.

"It's fun in the sense that I like to look at fashion as creativity," she said of her personal style. "Even in press tours, it's a way to continue the creativity from the film. ... I like to just create characters, because ultimately sometimes, doing this for a living feels a little weird and awkward and I'm more of a shy, introverted person, so I get to create these characters. 'I'm this woman today who wears a green suit.' You get to embody this character for a day and clothes can do that for you."

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