Zaya Wade is the Dazed spring 2023 cover star and showing off everything from stylish looks to her thoughts on beauty and self-love.
Zaya, the daughter of Dwyane Wade and stepdaughter of Gabrielle Union, was photographed for the magazine's black and white cover by Renell Medrano wearing a Miu Miu t-shirt, layered chains and a drawstring skirt.
Her hair was also a beautiful focal point as she wore a naturally textured brushed-out look styled by Miles Jeffries.
"Queen Z @zayawade is a shining example of owning the power of living one's own truth," the outlet captioned an Instagram post featuring a photo of the cover. "Since coming out as trans at the age of 12, she's taken on the mantle of activist, fashion-world darling -- and now, for the first time, cover star."
While speaking to Dazed about her ideas on beauty, Zaya opened up about lessons taught to her by stepmom Union, saying her most recent lesson centered around the beauty in being yourself.
"It's about being you and expressing yourself the way you want to," said Zaya. "She tries to teach me that beauty standards are arbitrary and that they don't mean anything. They don't matter any more; what people thought was the standard is not. And just that being myself is the best technique out there."
In addition to being comfortable with being herself, Zaya touched on growing up in the public eye and facing highs and some lows. "I mean, a lot of attention equals a lot more hate, a lot of transphobia, and [there is] a lot of pressure on me, but I'm also able to reach more people," she said.
To filter out the negativity, Zaya has also found positivity in leading an inclusive platform while also finding ways to enforce boundaries.
"On Instagram, I have a filtered comment section so only the people I trust and love and know love me can comment and share positivity, because unnecessary negativity causes stress. Stress gives you acne and wrinkles, and no one likes that! No one has time for that," she said.
She continued, "Emotionally, [it's about] knowing that if you are going to put yourself in a situation where you get hate, you should take yourself out of it, or at least have emotional support from friends and family."
Zaya has blossomed within the world of fashion and recently made her modeling debut for Miu Miu's Fall/Winter 2023 show.
Following Zaya's Miu Miu moment, Wade and Union shared a touching video capturing the 15-year-old's runway magic, captioning the clip, "She's arrived."
Wade also posted several videos on his Instagram story sharing how he got emotional for his daughter's debut.
"I'm not crying, you are," he wrote alongside one video. In another, he's seen hugging Zaya post-show.
Zaya came out as transgender in 2020. At the time, Wade opened up about his daughter's gender identity, saying on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that he and Union are "proud ... parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community -- and we're proud allies as well."
