Zendaya emerges as next-generation entrepreneur with new clothing line, app

Call it the Goop for a new generation.

With the dual launch of her clothing line, Daya, and a new lifestyle app, Zendaya is adding the title of entrepreneur to her resume Friday. The Disney Channel alum has emerged as one of young Hollywood’s most impressive names, landing in Taylor Swift’s squad, Beyonce’s Lemonade film and the forthcoming Spider-Man reboot, while building a following online with her social media activism.

Zendaya’s rise has been accompanied by an explosion of young fans who connect with the artist’s messages about diversity and equality. These fans, who wear a vast array of clothing sizes and may not identify as either gender, were the people Zendaya says she had in mind when designing her line. Daya features a range of items designed to be unisex, available in extended sizing ranging from 0-22, and priced reasonably for its target audience of young buyers, topping out at $158.

"We're making sure that we include bigger sizes,” she told USA TODAY at Daya’s NYC pop-up. "Not every girl looks the same, that's the truth."

"I think a lot of women feel alienated, like they're not included. Most women around me are thick women, those are the people I have in my family, and they should be able to have this accessible to them."

Many celebrities start their design careers with high fashion in mind. But Zendaya, who booked a Dolce and Gabbana campaign earlier this year, explained that she’s more inspired by what people on the street are wearing.

"Often, when clothes are made, people forget about the human body that has to go in them," she said. "Which is something I try to think about...How is that gonna look on her curves? How is that gonna complement someone's shape?"

Launching alongside her clothing line is Zendaya: The App, which gives fans a portal into her day-to-day life, featuring both free and paid-subscriber content like a “hit me back” feature that lets users send videos right to the star.

Zendaya, who's made headlines blasting racist and sexist trolls in her social media mentions, also envisions the app as a safe space for her online followers.

"I want [users] to be able to contact each other and talk to each other, but I want it all positive," she said. "It's not like Twitter or Instagram, which I love, but can get a little negative sometimes."

Many celebrities experience online hate, but for women and minorities, the deluge is worse. Another prominent star who favors her app over other social media  is Kim Kardashian, also a women of color,  before her shocking Paris robbery last month silenced her accounts.

"Of course, social media can be dangerous," Zendaya said, explaining how she protects herself. "What's cool about my app is that it gives people an inside look at my life, but I get to control it...which makes it a little safer, at least for me."

Next for Zendaya is a whirlwind schedule, as she touches down in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles on Saturday to greet fans shopping her new line. She’s content with pop-ups for now — “I want to do international pop-up shops...a lot of my international fans are like, ‘When are you coming over!’”

But looking around the room filled with her designs, she admitted she’s thinking about Daya’s brick-and-mortar future.

"This is literally a dream, and now I'm like, 'I need a real store. Let's hurry up and do this, so we can have a real store.'"