The political statement Zendaya's honey-blonde hair is making

W magazine's smouldering new cover shoot with Zendaya and John David Washington was always going to break the internet. However, there's more to Zendaya's honey blonde hair than meets the eye. And it's certainly more than simply a whimsical switch up from the natural curly hair the Euphoria (opens in new tab) actress usually sports. 

Zendaya is not adverse to making a statement  - like when she corrected an interviewer (opens in new tab) for asking her what she "looks for in a man" on grounds of gender bias.

According to W’s Lynn Hirschberg, who penned the article, Zendaya insisted on being blonde for the Old Hollywood photoshoot with her Malcom and Marie co-star, pointing out: "Her teased bouffant is both a jab at the traditional stereotypes of white women and a way to instantly become someone else. “

When W Magazine released the images on Instagram they captioned the post: "@Zendaya loves transformation. When the world went into lockdown last year, the @Euphoria star quickly became restless; she missed engaging with alternate universes. To scratch that itch, she would often wear different wigs from her vast collection and create characters inspired by them. For her W shoot, being blonde was crucial. Her teased bouffant is both a jab at the traditional stereotypes of white women and a way to instantly become someone else."

Several blonde looks were showcased for the feature. Apparently, the honey-blonde bouffant with yellow hair scarf was inspired by an iconic image of C.Z. Guest, a very tan, very blonde socialite who became the US personification of wealth and privilege. 

Zendaya also wore the honey blonde wig with a deep side parting and back combed on the crown. In another shot, she paired it with a thick black headband, the 50s winged-out eyeliner (see our best eyeliner for beginners (opens in new tab)) adding to the glamorous vibe.

And that's the thing about Zendaya - she looks just as stunning without a scrape of make-up as she does in a high-fashion shoot.