Zaya Wade is growing into a style icon. After making her runway debut for Miu Miu in 2023, Wade has continued to showcase her emerging passion for style and creating enviable looks.
The 18-year-old daughter of former NBA star Dwayne Wade and stepdaughter of Gabrielle Union stepped out in a simple yet elevated look on Friday night in New York City in honor of GLAAD's special 40th anniversary celebration. Wade ventured to Cipriani in Manhattan's financial district on October 10 to walk the red carpet ahead of the evening celebrating the non-profit's decades-long mission of protecting and boosting the LGBTQ+ community.
Wade wore a matching skirt and cropped jacket set made of glossy, faux leather material. She buttoned the cropped jacket up to the top, creating a chic look. Wade paired the matching skirt set with a pair of knee-high, black leather boots with a rectangular toe.
For glam, Wade went with a smoky eyeshadow look and a bold, burgundy lip to match the chilly fall evening in New York. She wore her hair in tousled, gorgeous curls, and showed off her ear cuffed with jewlery.
This isn't the first time that Zaya Wade has attended a GLAAD event — she attended the 2023 GLAAD Awards with stepmom Gabrielle Union, holding hands and supporting the LGBTQ+ organization. Wade shared that she had donated $5,000 to the non-profit and urged her followers to do the same.
Zaya and her dad, Dwayne Wade, launched Translatable last year, an online community for LGBTQ+ people of color who are looking for a safe space of support. Zaya came out as trans when she was 12 years old, and her dad, Dwayne, announced his full support of his daughter in an interview in 2020. The family has become fierce advocates for the trans community and relocated outside of Florida to California in light of the several anti-trans laws being passed in the state.
"We’ve done so many great things here so it wasn’t easy to leave,” Wade told AP. “But the community wasn’t here for Zaya, so the community wasn’t here for us.”
Since then, Zaya has become a star in her own right, often defying the flurry of anti-trans rhetoric and legislation by just proudly being herself in the spotlight. She also opened up about continually educating her family about the queer community.
“I think it’s not my job, but it’s my honor to continue and further my family’s education and appreciation for the entire LBGTQ+ community as we grow together,” she said in an interview with Dazed. “As our understanding of acceptance has broadened over the past couple of years, we have made the strides to keep ourselves educated and combat the ignorance.”
