Zendaya reveals Disney Channel movie that inspired her earliest fashion looks
Zendaya has opened up about her early fashion inspirations as she was figuring out how to "express" herself through clothing.
Zendaya has revealed The Cheetah Girls was her first fashion inspiration.
The 29-year-old actress has recalled how her parents were happy for her to use her clothes to "express" herself, and she turned to the 2003 Disney Channel movie to help shape her early style.
She told Vogue magazine: "Once I was old enough to kind of decide what I wanted to wear, they kind of just let me dress myself, which was cool.
"So I wasn’t that kid who had the perfect matching outfit going to school — I kind of just picked whatever I wanted, starting in kindergarten, first grade.
"The Cheetah Girls was a major thing, so I wore a lot of leopard print—that’s not cheetah print, but I didn’t know the difference."
The TV film - and its subsequent two sequels - followed four girls in a pop group, who were known for their signature animal print style.
The Drama star insisted children should all have the opportunity to discover themself through their fashion choices.
She added: "I love when I see kids and they’re in a princess dress and rain boots — they’re just experimenting with clothes, and they are already figuring out their little personalities.
"I probably wore some very interesting combinations as an elementary schooler, but I think it was more about what made me feel confident and whatever colour I was into, or my fixation at the time."
She was glad to grow up at a time where social media wasn't as prevalent, and she feels like children should have a freedom to try on clothes without "understanding that you’re being perceived by others".
She added: "Thankfully, not all of my awkward outfits were documented, and there weren’t a bunch of tutorials or links to help me or decide who I was.
"It’s just something that you had to figure out on your own. And I think that exploration is so important — it’s important to go through awkward phases; to look back at things you wore when you were a teenager and be like, 'Oh my God, what was I thinking?'
"Very few people are chic their whole life. It’s something that your taste and your personal preference develops as you get older."
