Zainab Jiwa: My viral moment with Zendaya at The Odyssey premiere

“I can’t zip this! Mummm?”

This was 29-year-old Zainab Jiwa, calling out for help squeezing into a corset while filming a “get-ready-with-me” TikTok video. It’s a scene many 20-somethings still living at home will relate to.

The difference is, Zainab was on her way to the recent London premiere of The Odyssey, one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters.

She was invited there as a guest and says she caught the eye of Hollywood megastar Zendaya, thanks to her custom look: a striking gold gown complete with a hood.

“She just walked past, and she saw me there. Her jaw just dropped, so did mine,” Zainab tells me.

“It was just a stare-off for a minute, and she was like, ‘Oh my god, amazing, amazing,’ and then she just walked off.”

“I’m still in shock,” she adds. “The thought of her noticing my outfit blew my mind.”

The interaction went viral, external with 19m TikTok views. Her phone blew up.

While Zendaya has been ruling the red carpets with high-fashion “method dressing” – where stars match outfits to a film’s themes – Zainab is perhaps proving that independent creators like her can give Hollywood a run for its money.

Zainab, who is Muslim and wears a hijab, is also often one of the only people covering her hair at premieres, but she says finding ways to incorporate modest wear is part of the fun.

“Even though you’re covered, you can still find a way to be on theme.”