Little information has been released about Zendaya‘s turn in an upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, other than that she’ll join a star-studded cast to bring one of literature’s greatest epics to theaters on July 17, 2026. Still, with more than a year until her inevitable goddess-inspired press tour commences, I’d like to direct her and stylist Law Roach toward New York Fashion Week newcomer Kari Vettese for red carpet consideration.
Yes, The Odyssey is set in ancient Greece with all its associated deities, monsters, and heroes. Vettese’s namesake brand takes inspiration from ancient Rome, the nearby-but-not-synonymous land of her ancestors. (She’s a first-generation U.S. citizen; her extended family still lives in Italy.) Still, there’s synergy between the expertly draped cotton dresses, billowing pantaloons, and hints of leatherwork Vettese presented on Feb. 7 and what I imagine will be on Z’s mood board as she promotes an adaptation of a literary masterpiece where a hero of a bygone world is lost at sea. Plus, before even setting foot in New York, Vettese’s Los Angeles-based label had already been co-signed by Charli XCX, Kylie Jenner, and Zendaya’s Dune: Part Two co-star, Florence Pugh.
(Image credit: César Buitrago)
(Image credit: César Buitrago)
The designer sensed she’d be headed for red carpets and concert wardrobes when she launched her brand, filled with clingy dresses reminiscent of a shipwrecked Sophia Loren, in 2022. When I ask her over the phone whether she expected so much A-list approval, so fast, she’s direct: “Honestly, and I say this humbly, I’m not surprised.”
We’re speaking during a narrow window in Vettese’s stacked day of last-minute fittings before a 6 A.M. runway set-up the following morning. She says the famous fans who propelled her to a highly-anticipated New York Fashion Week debut come for the aesthetics (Roman Forum-gone-couture) and stay for how they feel on the body.
“I do believe the way that the clothes actually fit [sets me apart],” she explains. “Having what people might think are cool designs that are appealing—it is obvious that’s great—but I think the plus is also that they fit.“
(Image credit: César Buitrago)
(Image credit: César Buitrago)
Vettese’s manipulation of sustainably-sourced cotton into sinuous dresses and rough-edged skirts is so body-friendly, it’s brought celebrities directly to her online checkout. (See: When Charli XCX wore a custom skirt for a brat tour performance in Glasgow.) “A lot of these people have purchased directly from me,” she says. “So it’s the authenticity of them actually wanting to wear it which is important to me.”
Taking over an office space in Manhattan for her show on Feb. 7, Vettese got to see a group of her brand’s fans that were just as stylish, if not as well known. The intimate front row was lined with guests in their own Vettese tubes tops and dresses; I noted one showgoer smiling with recognition as a piece similar to the one she wore flitted past on the runway.
“There’s honestly a huge range of women and even men that can wear these pieces,” Vettese says. Her core audience is composed of twenty and thirty-year-olds, but she’s also seen her mom in the sculpting pieces. That appeal could broaden as her line grows with the Fall 2025 collection, including expansions like low-rise denim, structured outerwear, and “a lot more leather.”
(Image credit: César Buitrago)
(Image credit: César Buitrago)
Speaking with Vettese, and peeking at her past interviews with Paper and Fashionista, I get the sense that predicting a Zendaya red carpet credit might actually be thinking small. “A lot of my friends would joke growing up that, ‘Kari will rule the world one day,” she reflects.
For the adult Vettese, that domination looks like getting her clothes on to more people, famous and the opposite. “I believe the trajectory for the brand is very large,” she says, “and I’m just really excited to witness it.”
TOPICS
