Zendaya Perfects Her Pre-Olympics Beaded Louis Vuitton Gown With a Resurgent Mini Bag Trend

It's hard to outshine the Eiffel Tower on a regular day in Paris, let alone on the eve of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Yet on the red carpet for the "Prelude to the Olympics" party, Zendaya stood out in a resplendent beaded Louis Vuitton gown—with help from a teeny tiny micro bag trend.

For the past few weeks, Zendaya has been embracing the British side of her style while living with boyfriend Tom Holland in west London: She's served preppy, tennis white Wimbledon outfits, hit Notting Hill in the mesh flats trend and a classic trench coat, and even channeled a Shakespearean heroine for Holland's Romeo and Juliet premiere. On July 25, Z jetted across the English Channel for an evening of embracing her inner French girl in Paris, at a party hosted by the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Styled by her go-to image architect Law Roach, Zendaya glimmered in a black slip dress with a fitted bodice and thin spaghetti straps. Rows and rows of tiny black beads coated the entire piece.

All those yards of beaded embellishments reflected the early evening light, coating Zendaya's body in a liquid-like sparkle. She didn't need much else to pull off the look: Other than her dress, the only piece visible in photos from the event was a Polly Pocket-sized Vuitton trunk bag, which she held by just two fingers. (Said fingers were freshly painted in an athlete-approved bubble bath Olympics manicure—competitors in Paris can't wear colors that would distract the judges.)

That tiny accessory made an impact, and not only in reference to Zendaya's ongoing ambassadorship with the French luxury house. A micro-mini bag trend defined by structural top handles and compartments that can squeeze a lip balm (and little else) is sweeping designers from luxury players like Louis Vuitton and Fendi to smaller upstarts like Savette. And according to the fall 2024 bag trends, doubling up on small styles with a second, extra-large tote is about to be the accessory styling hack of the season. Zendaya has a head start with her itty-bitty bag.

Zendaya's minimal wardrobe styling wasn't her only gold medal-worthy move of the evening. Photos inside the "Prelude" party provided an up-close glimpse at Z's beauty, including extra-rosy cheeks (a sign of summer's blush trend) and slick, almost wet wavy hair. The maroon manicure Zendaya wore days ago in London was gone; in its place, she had pale pink bubble bath nails.

Inside the party, the Challengers star mingled with athletes and celebrities including Pharrell, Serena Williams, and Rosalía, while Grammy-winning singer Tyla performed. She also met her onscreen tennis match—video captured Zendaya saying hello to Novak Djokovic.

Coming off Zendaya's months of fashion serves on the Challengers global press tour, fans might have expected the actress to make a sportier reference on the red carpet. She spent weeks channeling her tennis-player-turned-coach character in custom and vintage looks by Louis Vuitton, Loewe, and Ralph Lauren (among many others), all with nods to the court from tennis ball green hues to Wimbledon whites and tennis racket bow embellishments. It looks like Zendaya is leaving the sport references to the actual athletes this time around. But if she wants to test-drive an Olympic fashion collaboration or Olympics nail art, there's still time—the Games start tomorrow, July 26, and last through August 4. Think of the outfit potential!

Shop Black Dresses and Mini Bags Inspired by Zendaya