Zendaya Pairs Archival Cavalli “Spine” Gown With Classic Louboutin So Kate Pumps

At the Ballon d’Or ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on November 29, 2021, Zendaya and Tom Holland arrived separately but posed together inside the venue. The appearance came during the lead-up to Spider-Man: No Way Home, in which they reprised their roles as MJ and Peter Parker.

Zendaya’s look was particularly memorable for the contrast between an archival Roberto Cavalli gown with a sculptural gold spine running down its open back and a familiar pair of black Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps. The elaborate metalwork prompted immediate comparisons to Doctor Octopus, while the streamlined heels kept the focus on the dress.

Rocking his long, curly hair, the 25-year-old actor wore a black tuxedo with a bow tie and white shirt. He posed on the red carpet alongside his brothers, Sam and Harry, who both wore black suits and ties.

Tom Holland with his brothers Sam and Harry at the Ballon D’Or ceremony in Paris, France on November 29, 2021 (Credit: Mega / WENN)

The Euphoria star wore an archival black gown from Roberto Cavalli’s Fall/Winter 2000 collection, selected with her longtime stylist Law Roach. The appearance followed Zendaya becoming the youngest recipient of the CFDA Fashion Icon Award.

From the front, the fitted black gown was relatively restrained, with a high neckline, quarter-length sleeves, and an ankle-grazing silhouette. The defining detail appeared across its open back: a sculptural gold framework shaped like a human spine.

Zendaya lets the clean front of her fitted black Roberto Cavalli gown set up the surprise of its dramatically embellished open back at the 2021 Ballon d’Or in Paris (Credit: Mega / WENN)

The dress originated with Roberto Cavalli’s Fall/Winter 2000 collection, but the archival design was revisited for Zendaya under the house’s creative director, Fausto Puglisi. The metallic structure followed the line of her spine, with fine gold chains connecting the framework and crystal-embellished twin snakeheads positioned near her shoulder blades.

The anatomical motif also places the Cavalli design within a much older fashion tradition. Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí famously explored a similar idea with the 1938 Skeleton Dress, using padded forms to trace ribs and bones across black fabric. Cavalli’s 2000 interpretation took a very different approach, exposing the back and turning the spine itself into jewelry-like metalwork.

Turning to reveal the archival Cavalli design, Zendaya showcases the sculptural gold spine, delicate chains, and crystal-embellished snakeheads tracing her bare back (Credit: Mega / WENN)

The resemblance to Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus wasn’t the original inspiration for the 2000 Cavalli design, but the connection quickly took on a life of its own. Fans compared its mechanical-looking spine to Doc Ock’s robotic tentacles, and Zendaya acknowledged the comparison on Instagram, leaning into the Spider-Man: No Way Home reference.

For beauty, the Greatest Showman star kept her makeup neutral, defining her eyes with nude shadow, eyeliner, and mascara.

She styled her hair into a makeshift bob that left the sculptural back unobstructed and showed off her $795 “Mamma Jamma” gold hoops from American jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher.

Zendaya’s sleek faux bob and oversized gold Jennifer Fisher hoops keep her shoulders clear, drawing attention to the intricate metalwork running down the back of her gown (Credit: Avalon / WENN)

She further accessorized with rings, including a Bulgari Magnifica design, before finishing the look with black Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps.

At 5’10” (178 cm) with a US shoe size 10, Zendaya has never shied away from adding substantial heel height. Christian Louboutin is one of the footwear labels that appears repeatedly in her wardrobe, and the So Kate has become one of the clearest recurring silhouettes in her collaboration with Law Roach.

Introduced in 2013 and named after Kate Moss, the Christian Louboutin So Kate is recognizable by its elongated pointed toe, low-cut vamp, steep arch, red-lacquered sole, and 120mm heel. Its approximately 4.7-inch stiletto makes the profile noticeably more extreme than a conventional pointed pump.

Black Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps emerge beneath Zendaya’s floor-length Cavalli gown, their razor-sharp pointed toes and towering stilettos providing a streamlined finish (Credit: Avalon / WENN)

Her history with the shoe goes well beyond this Ballon d’Or appearance. Law Roach has recalled introducing Zendaya to the towering silhouette when she was still a teenager, and Zendaya has since worn Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps in black, white, brown, orange, and patterned finishes across premieres, fashion events, and promotional appearances.

That consistency helps explain why the shoe works here. Rather than competing with the gold spine, the black pointed pump visually continues the gown’s narrow silhouette and leaves its unusual back construction as the main event.

The formula has endured. Years later, Zendaya was still reaching for the same sharply pointed silhouette, including black Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps during a Madrid Spider-Man photocall. Against much more theatrical clothes, the familiar pump often functions as the quiet, consistent part of the outfit.

Why Celebrities Keep Wearing Christian Louboutin’s So Kate Pumps

The Christian Louboutin So Kate has remained a red-carpet favorite because its proportions are difficult to ignore. The 120mm stiletto heel, sharply pointed toe, low-cut vamp, and steep arch create an elongated silhouette that works especially well with gowns, tailored trousers, and short hemlines.

The design is deliberately extreme. With no platform beneath the forefoot, the So Kate places the foot at a pronounced angle, while the plunging vamp exposes a small amount of toe cleavage and visually extends the line of the leg. The flash of Louboutin’s red lacquered sole adds another instantly recognizable detail whenever the wearer walks or turns.

Christian Louboutin’s So Kate 120 pumps combine an elongated pointed toe, low-cut vamp, steep arch, and approximately 4.7-inch stiletto heel

Its name also reflects the kind of style the shoe was designed to capture. Christian Louboutin named the So Kate after Kate Moss, whose pared-back, sharp approach to dressing suited a pump with very little decoration and an unusually dramatic shape.

Zendaya is one of the clearest examples of the shoe’s staying power. Law Roach has repeatedly styled her in So Kate pumps across premieres, photocalls, and press appearances, often using the simple pointed silhouette beneath far more elaborate clothing. Other celebrities have embraced the same formula, pairing the towering pump with everything from streamlined tailoring to embellished eveningwear.

Comfort isn’t why the So Kate became famous. Its steep pitch and lack of a platform make it an exacting shoe to wear. Its appeal is visual: height, a longer leg line, an unmistakable red sole, and a silhouette closely associated with celebrity dressing.