He may have pulled out from a couple of shows recently, but Zayn Malik certainly isn’t sitting at home twiddling his thumbs. In fact, he’s writing his memoir, advising on a TV show about boybands, and working with Giuseppe Zanotti on a footwear line. But that’s not all. Drum roll, please! The ex boybander has found himself a new direction as a fashion designer.
Yes, that’s right. The “Pillow Talk” crooner has announced that he will be teaming up with Donatella Versace to work on both a men’s and women’s collection for Versace’s younger, cooler sister brand: Versus. “I think Versus has always been a very cool brand and is a great brand for me and for people in my generation,” Zayn told The New York Times. “I’ve always wanted to design clothes and there’s no brand I’d rather design for than Versus. I like to learn about things I’m interested in and I enjoy being around creative people so I think it will be cool. The bonus is that I get to collaborate with Donatella, whom I love and admire. I know we’ll create something amazing.”
It’s a match made in fashion heaven, for a number of reasons. Firstly: Zayn is the boyfriend of Donatella’s friend and muse, Gigi Hadid; secondly since Anthony Vaccarello left Versus to take the helm at Saint Laurent, there has been an empty spot on the Versus team. Thirdly, Zayn has that rock and roll rebellious cool that the house is all about. “Versus is the rock and roll soul of the Versace family and has always been associated with music,” Donatella told The New York Times. “Versus is everything that the Versace line is not. It is loud, it is rebellious — I don’t want shoppers buying both from Versus and Versace. The houses have different souls. I wanted Zayn because he can help me talk to his followers. I want to listen to their language. I want to learn more about them, what they think and what they like. They are a new generation that without working with someone like Zayn, I will never reach.”
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Text Tish Weinstock
Image via Instagram