Zendaya Solidifies 3 Fall Trends With Her Pixie Cut and Prada Look

On Saturday, September 12, Zendaya stunned in a head-to-toe whimsical ensemble that featured a newly debuted romantic pixie cut. The actress was on the clock as Prada Beauty’s global brand ambassador, out and about town to make a surprise appearance at the brand’s fragrance pop-up in SoHo during New York Fashion Week.

The Spider-Man actress and her stylist, Law Roach, gave the new cut its proper introduction in a playful, layered Prada look that felt perfectly suited for this year’s transition into fall.

Here are three trends that Zendaya is already making a case for this season.

1. The pixie cut.

On Saturday, Zendaya was captured with her shortest cut yet for the first time while out in Brooklyn with her Euphoria co-stars Hunter Schafer and Alexa Demie. The ear-grazing pixie features soft, textured waves—a marked departure from the longer bixie style she’d been wearing in recent months.

As a bonus, she also wore the season’s trending vibrant red, paired with cream pants and a classic black loafer.

She then brought the cut to Prada, where hairstylist Coree Moreno styled the short layers into tousled curls. It’s a welcome soft take on the classic pixie, which he “loved unveiling.” I can almost hear scissors snipping across the globe as we speak.

2. Purple (and other atypical fall hues).

Fall has historically been synonymous with a fairly predictable color palette: rich tones of brown, olive, burgundy—and, of course, the classic New York go-to, black. But this season, fashion is making a case for hues that color outside the lines. Electric yellow, cobalt blue, and royal purple are on the list.

But what about a lighter shade of purple? And dare I say touches of pink?

Zendaya’s makeup look makes the case for them both. For her face, makeup artist Ernesto Casillas continued the ongoing blush blindness trend with a cherry blush and lavender eye shadow that made a strong case for ushering pastel iterations of trending colors into the year’s colder seasons.

The way her top was styled echoes the sentiment—a classic green/blue sweater featuring a pop of pink peeping out of the dress shirt sleeve.

3. The midi skirt, with a twist.

The midi skirt is hardly a new concept, but fall 2026 is giving the silhouette a spirited refresh. ELLE has already pointed to the rise of statement skirts this year, from fringe-adorned styles to the sequin-covered midi skirts seen on the fall/winter 2026 runways.

Now, Zendaya is making a case for the silhouette herself. The yellow sequin-embroidered midi skirt holds movement and plays with volume and color pairing even further.

During the Spider-Man: Brand New Day press tour in June, Zendaya paired a sporty red jersey with a plaid midi skirt from Coach, giving the traditionally polished silhouette an unexpected spin there, too.

Overall, this look is a reminder that dressing for the season doesn’t have to mean retreating into the expected. A fresh crop, unexpected color, and an experimental take on the classics will take you a long way.