Within the last couple of years, Zendaya has grown from sweet Disney starlet to quintessential red-carpet risk taker. (Who else could pull off a dazzling diamond-adorned shirtdress with matching sparkling stilettos quite like her?) And now, the actress is taking her love of fashion to the next level: with her very own shoe line!
Courtesy Daya
The collection, named Daya (which was the star’s childhood nickname), is a collaboration between the 18-year-old star and her stylist, Law Roach. Together, the duo created a line of sky-high heels, fringed flats, summery sandals and sporty wedge sneakers, which will range in prices from $125 to $175, inspired by the star’s personal red-carpet style and the women in her life.
“I was inspired by everyday women,” she tells PEOPLE. “And I was inspired a lot by my niece — she’s in college — and my sister, who’s a working woman with two kids and a husband. I constantly ask them how do they find stuff, how much would they pay for a good shoe and what they are looking for [in a shoe].”
Courtesy Daya
And while it’s clear that the line is very true to the star’s standout style, Zendaya says her top priority was to make her shoes easily accessible (and affordable!) for all women.
“The kind of women we’re targeting are real women [who] want a good shoe they can wear to their job interviews, but still be stylish and not break the bank,” she says. “But it’s not like that typical look for less. No, these are dope shoes and you don’t have to spend three years trying to buy them.”
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So what’s her favorite pair? “That’s impossible; I will not answer that question! But I will say that every shoe is definitely infused with [our aesthetic],” she tells PEOPLE. “I’m not a big fan of flats, I’ve never been a big fan of sandals, and so it was kind of like, ‘How do I make a version that I would wear on the red carpet, that I think is chic?’ ”
Courtesy Daya
Zendaya, who’s 5 ft. 10 in., says that she and Roach hope to inspire other women to embrace their height (no matter what it is) and wear styles they feel most comfortable in.
“That’s part of our platform,” Roach tells PEOPLE. “For girls who think, ‘I can’t wear heels, I’m tall,’ you can wear heels! It makes you look even more amazing. [Zendaya] will see a tall girl walking down the street and run over and give her a high five and be like, Yes, a tall girl wearing heels!”
But whether or not she convinces you to step into some sky-high stilettos, Zendaya says you’ll find something you love (in a color you might not have guessed) in her collection. “A lot of women are like me — it’s either sneakers or it’s heels, there’s no in between,” she says. “I’m a tomboy, so there are a lot of times where I want to have that tomboy edge and feminize it.”
She adds: “I want to give every kind of woman an option. You have your simple work shoe, you have your summer wedge. Not every girl wants to wear heels; sometimes wedges are more sturdy. You have everything. Everything for every lady out there.” (As long as that lady’s willing to wait until spring 2016, when the collection launches.)
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–Sarah Kinonen
Follow @sarahkinonen
