Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya 70s-inspired show wowed us as iconic 70-year-old singer Grace Jones shuts down the catwalk

Alexa, play "Pull Up to the Bumper" and cue "We are Family"!

Those were just two of the 70s - 80s bops that blasted through the speakers as supermodels from every generation walked down the runway at the Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya show in Paris over the weekend. 

With only African-American models parading the Seventies-inspired collection down the runway, this show was the celebration of diversity we needed to see after all the fashion industry faux pas we've witnessed over the past few weeks. 

READ MORE: Zendaya says her new Tommy Hilfiger clothing collection is powerful

This multigenerational and size-diverse cast of models included Pat Cleveland, 68, Beverley Johnson, 66, Veronica Webb, 54, Beverly Peele, Tyra Banks, Halima Aden, Winnie Harlow and 70-year-old Grace Jones - original carefree black girl - who closed the show in a gold bodysuit and metallic striped blazer.

These models were all firsts of their kind and made history in some form or another during the prime years of their careers, which is why seeing them all on the same runway earned the TOMMYNOW show so much cheer, especially given continuous conversations on inclusion in the fashion and beauty industries.

READ MORE: Is this the year of the black model?

This is why it can also be said that this Tommy x Zendaya showcase was less about the clothes than it was about the celebration of how far we've come (with still a long way to go) and honouring the legacies of legends such as Pat, Beverley, and Grace.

As Zendaya also reportedly said, "we’re paying homage to these women who changed our legacy…and allowed for me and so many others to be here.”

“This is about saying we appreciate and love you,” Zendaya added.

Another historical element of the TOMMYNOW showcase was its referencing of the 1973 French-American Battle of Versailles. USA Today recalls how this runway battle "pitted American designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Stephen Burrows against French designers Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin and Hubert de Givenchy." Thanks to their choice of black supermodels, American designers came out victorious. 

On size inclusivity, Zendaya remarked that "if women in my family can’t all wear it, I don’t want to make it.” 

The 22-year old was not only called by Tommy Hilfiger himself for this collaboration, but he also gave her (and her talented stylist Law Roach) complete creative control in terms of both the show and the affordable pieces from the collection. 

And by "affordable", we mean in the world of luxury fashion having nothing over $500 (R7K) in your collection makes it a democratic one. 

In our current sartorial climate where streetwear and athleisure have taken over, Zendaya has used this opportunity with Tommy Hilfiger to bring a touch of femininity back to fashion through a 1970s lens. 

High-waisted bootlegs, waist-cinching jumpsuits, belted A-line dresses and button-down golfers all make for the uniform of every quintessential black woman of the Pam Grier era.

And these are our top three favourite items we'd shop from Tommy x Zendaya:

Boots

For strutting like Grace Jones and dancing like you've caught Saturday Night Fever.

Leather flare dress

This dress would make for a winning winter ensemble when layered with an off-white chunky knitwear.

Pinstripe relaxed fit blazer

It's what we imagine dads in this retro era wore. 

And just like that, Tommy Hilfiger became the talk of the town again!

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