Zendaya has a lot to look forward to in 2023. The Golden Globe-winning actor will star in two highly anticipated films this year, each helmed by celebrated directors. First: Challengers, a Luca Guadagino-directed tennis drama releasing in August. Then, in October, the second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s ambitious adaptation of the sci-fi classic Dune. “I’m in really special hands,” Zendaya says of working with two modern auteurs. When we speak, the actor is enjoying a rare moment of downtime in London. “I’m taking a break right now,” Zendaya tells Vogue, speaking over the phone. “I have a full year ahead of me.” 

“Break” is a relative term. Despite her busy schedule, Zendaya recently added another gig to her already impressive resume: Louis Vuitton ambassador. It makes sense that one of the most recognizable brands in the world would partner with an actor who has consistently bent red carpet fashion to her advantage. Over the years—often with longtime stylist Law Roach by her side—Zendaya has worn outfits that live well-beyond the next day’s fashion recaps. She’s donned a crown of dreadlocks to the Oscars; worn a hot-pink Tom Ford breastplate to the 2020 Critic’s Choice Awards; transformed into a Joan of Arc of sorts for the 2018 Met Gala. “I just enjoy clothes and playing with them and creating new characters,” Zendaya says of her approach to red carpet dressing. “That’s what I find fun about fashion, it’s transformative quality, it’s ability to be like storytelling.” 

Now, the ever-shifting style maven is leaning into Parisian chic. Zendaya fronts a new campaign, shot by the iconic Mert and Marcus, for Louis Vuitton’s Capucines handbags. The airy, sun-soaked visuals, captured in the Cote D’Azur region of France, feels like a full-circle moment for Zendaya. “I remember growing up around LV campaigns,” she shares. “There was this one that I loved from the early 2000s of Naomi Campbell, and she’s like sprawled out over a trunk. I can still see it. I can see the image in my head and I remember seeing it in magazines as a kid.” 

The 26 year old also recalls seeing LV monogram-inspired designs frequently on MySpace during the platform’s heyday. “Everyone had the LV-print on their Myspace page,” she says with a laugh. “At least I had that! Let me not try to put that on nobody else. That was definitely me.”