Zendaya Reveals She Almost Ditched the Mugler Cyborg Suit at Dune 2 Premiere

If there is any star who is known for serving one great look after the other, then it’s Zendaya. The 27-year-old actor has not only made a name for herself due to her impressive discography but has also become a fashion icon, all thanks to her long-standing partnership with stylist Law Roach. Together, the duo has come up with era-defining outfits that are requested from the archives or picked from the latest runways. Recently, Zendaya revisited some of her looks as she filmed Vogue’s “Life in Looks” series. While talking about her sensation outfit at Dune: Part II’s premier, when she wore the 1994 Mugler metal bodysuit, Zendaya revealed that on the day of the premiere, she almost didn’t wear the robot-like outfit, but eventually mustered enough courage to go ahead with it.

The Euphoria star said that she initially sent the suit’s photo to Law Roach as Dune: Part II’s premiere look. Roach was surprised by her choice. Zendaya recalled Roach’s reaction and said, “He was like, ‘Are you being serious? Don’t play with me! Don’t get me started on something and make me do this, and you’re going to chicken out at the last minute.”

The custom-made metallic outfit, which was put together with hinges, fitted her perfectly, but it was still very restrictive. Zendaya described the discomfort as, “Immediately after wearing it for like 10 minutes, I got really lightheaded. The metal conducts and holds onto heat.” She added, “I was like, ‘This is a bad idea’, but I put it on, I went out there, and I did it!”

This sci-fi cyborg suit is nicknamed “Machinenmensch” (Machine Human). It was created over six months in 1994 and showcased at Mugler’s 1995 autumn/winter show.

After Zendaya’s viral Dune: Part II red carpet look, supermodel Emma Wiklund, who first wore “Machinenmensch” on the runway, spoke to Vogue about wearing the outfit over 30 years ago. The Swedish model said, “It is made from metal and based on plaster moulds, so you couldn’t slouch or gain an ounce of weight or it would either fall down or not fit.” Wiklund spent hours in the Mugler fitting room till the suit fitted her perfectly. She said, while the outfit was not comfortable, “it was worth every bruise.”