Law Roach Is Right: Zendaya Pulls Off a Surprise 2026 Oscars Dress

When Zendaya arrived at March 12's Essence Black Women in Hollywood event in a vintage Sex and the City pull, I had hope for her 2026 Oscars red carpet dress. The Dolby Theatre is just six miles north of Essence's venue, after all. But three days later, Zendaya was noticeably missing from the Academy Awards red carpet, just like the 2025 Oscars. All hope wasn't lost: Zendaya's stylist Law Roach said she "will be" at the 2026 Oscars in some way, shape, or form. At precisely 10:16 p.m. ET, she made a late-entry to the best-dressed list.

45 minutes before the ABC broadcast began, Z's longtime "image architect" talked to Extra on the red carpet. Roach served a look himself—in a black, lace-embellished tuxedo and a new haircut. Still, the question on every journalist's lips was, where's Zendaya?

"She's not here yet," Roach told Extra. "She will be, yeah." The red carpet closed before Zendaya could deliver her step-and-repeat, but trusting Roach was the right move. It appears Zendaya snuck into the Dolby Theatre during the ceremony, Kylie Jenner-style.

Roach tried to sneak away before Extra could ask about Zendaya's Oscars dress. Turns out, "she's wearing custom [Louis] Vuitton, by Nicolas Ghesquière," Roach teased. It'll be her third Louis Vuitton look of the month, following her fashion show 'fit and a The Drama press tour pick. "It's very beautiful, so she'll be here soon." When questioned about Zendaya's wedding—which he confirmed at the 2026 Actor Awards—he added, "I said what I said." You heard it here, folks: Zendaya is engaged, whether or not we saw her in white.

Roach was absolutely right when he called Zendaya's Oscars gown "beautiful." The surprise presenter graced the ceremony stage to hand Paul Thomas Anderson of One Battle After Another with the Oscar for Best Director. She was joined by her The Drama co-star, Robert Pattinson, who also skipped tonight's red carpet. Zendaya showed out in a one-shoulder, chocolate brown gown, courtesy of Louis Vuitton. Another angle showcased the bodice's sleeve cutout, which plunged to her ruched skirt.

After weeks of wearing only a diamond-less wedding band, the newlywed flaunted her five-carat Jessica McCormack engagement ring. (Yes, the same one she debuted on the 2025 Golden Globes red carpet.) She stacked its button-back, east-west center stone atop a thin gold band, also from Jessica McCormack.

Zendaya's latest official award season soirée was the 2025 Golden Globes last January. She wasn't nominated or presenting a trophy, but that didn't stop her from taking home the Best-Dressed title. Image architect Law Roach proved tangerine is Z's color with a custom Louis Vuitton gown. Its cinched, strapless bodice juxtaposed an elongated, ballgown-esque train. The rare shade of orange served as a bold backdrop for her engagement ring debut. That's right, Zendaya flaunted her Jessica McCormack sparkler from fiancé Tom Holland for the first time on the Golden Globes carpet. That viral moment alone deserved a trophy.

Zendaya has RSVP'd "maybe next time" to the Oscars since 2024—her fifth Academy Awards. (Dune: Part Two scored a Best Picture nomination last year, but Zendaya sent support from afar.) In 2024, Roach commissioned Armani Privé for Zendaya's custom creation. The one-shoulder gown's pink, liquified organza and gunmetal silver sequins evoked the nostalgic charm of Old Hollywood stars. The subtle curl of her side-parted bob was the cherry on top of the red carpet's most glamorous look.

Zendaya's Oscars gowns showcase just how much her style has evolved over the last decade. She made her Academy Awards debut in 2015, at just 18 years old. Four years into her collaboration with Roach, he dressed Z in an off-the-shoulder Vivienne Westwood gown. Turns out, she "kind of snuck onto the red carpet," according to a 2024 Vanity Fair interview.

The white gown was "amazing" and classically understated, but it mainly spotlighted her history-making locs. She instantly faced discriminatory backlash toward her hairstyle, but Zendaya has never regretted her choice: "My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough," she added.

Zendaya skipped every major award show (apart from the Oscars) during the 2026 season, but that could change next year. Over the next nine months, The Drama, The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Dune: Part Three, all starring Z, will hit theaters. Hopefully, this means one (if not most) of her projects will be frontrunners in the 2026 award season race. With two-time Academy Award winner Christopher Nolan directing The Odyssey—and a stacked cast list of Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and more—the odds of Zendaya gracing the 2027 Oscars red carpet are good. Join me in manifesting her grand return.