“The designers must fight to the death to dress you,” Kelly Ripa told Zendaya, the 27-year-old actress, as they discussed her preparation for this year’s Met Gala on a recent episode of “Live With Kelly and Mark.”Zendaya gave a knowing smile. So it is of intense interest to red-carpet watchers that Zendaya will return to the Met Gala on Monday for the first time in five years, this time as a co-chair. “We call each other our fashion soul mates,” he told Vanessa Friedman in a recent interview. Zendaya’s willingness to take fashion risks has been on display at her past five Met Gala appearances, which have involved chain mail, parrots and a color-changing Cinderella dress with a pumpkin carriage purse. But ascending the steps has not exactly gotten easier with practice, she told Ms. Ripa: “It’s still terrifying.”

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Persons: ” Kelly Ripa, Zendaya, Kelly, Mark, ” Zendaya, ”, Jessica Testa, Law Roach, Vanessa Friedman, Ripa, “ Organizations: The New York Times