Zendaya Thinks You Should Wear Whatever You Want

For Zendaya, having her new clothing line Daya by Zendaya be inclusive was vital. The singer and actress wanted everyone and their mom (literally) to be able to buy and enjoy the pieces. "Sizing is a huge thing that has to happen because I want my mom to be able to buy my clothes, I want my older sister to be able to buy my clothes. There are too many different shapes and sizes in my family to say, 'Hmm, yeah, but you can’t wear that, though,'" Zendaya tells me in an interview at her New York Daya by Zendaya pop-up shop. "Like, that’s something that never crossed my mind to not do because I just want everyone to feel included!"

Since the beginning of her career, this 20-year-old has been a powerful voice for the younger generation (and us older folks, too) about what it means to be a strong, confident woman — especially in the entertainment industry. Not only is she an advocate for body positivity, but she also has voiced her opinion on cultural appropriation. So it only makes sense that this Disney star would co-create a transformative clothing line (and a fashion app!) that focuses on celebrating a wide range of people.

According to Zendaya, she knew exactly what she wanted for her first fashion collection before the process of designing even began. Having already dipped her toes into the fashion industry pool with her swoon-worthy shoe line that she co-created with her longtime stylist Law Roach, Zendaya worked with Roach once again to build Daya by Zendaya from scratch. "[Law and I don't] agree on everything, which is the best part! We discuss things. He gives me his reasons, I give him my reasons, and then one of us will compromise. Yeah, so it’s like a partnership. [We agree often]. Nine times out of ten, but that one percent that we don’t is when the best stuff comes out," she says.

Zendaya may only be 20, but has the confidence of someone who is beyond her years in more ways than we can count. Like most of us, though, Zendaya wasn't born with this self-assured mentality. Through a few trials and errors, she grew into the strong woman she is today.

"Well, the really cool thing is I learned [how to be confident] when I was very young. So, I was already cool with [my fashion choices]. But something that I’ve learned as I grew is that my process [of] trying new things is a very healthy element in finding out who you are...experimenting really helps you gain confidence," says Zendaya. "For me, as much as it is easier said than done. I can say, 'Hey, go be confident, just go do it, go love yourself,' and that’s much easier to tell somebody than to actually live and do."

Overall, Zendaya tells me that she believes that every person — no matter gender or size — should feel confident in their own skin and should rock whatever the hell they want.

"I want people to be able to wear whatever they want, do whatever they want. Of course, there’s things where technically, they’re made for women, but that doesn’t mean...a woman has to wear it. Whoever wants to wear it can wear whatever the hell they want," says Zendaya. "It’s about wearing and doing what makes you feel good. And that’s the most important thing to me...people living for themselves and living for a sense of who they are."

Images: Getty Images for Daya by Zendaya