A Look Back on the Career of Law Roach

A Look Back on the Career of Law Roach

By: Kate Kimberlin 

Renowned celebrity stylist Law Roach announced his retirement a few weeks ago in a rather sudden fashion, but his name still continues to circulate in high fashion news. After the Chicago native opened up about what has caused his decision to retire, conversations around the intense dedication and vision it takes to become a celebrity stylist has become a much more candid one. This has also reignited the need for inclusivity and minimizing politics in the world of high fashion. 

Roach’s recent interviews with high fashion outlets like The Cut have focused on the reasons why he is retiring from celebrity styling, but not as much on all of the hard work he has done through the years. In the interest of celebration, here are some highlights from the legendary career of Law Roach. 

Deliciously Vintage

While not a client, Deliciously Vintage is the name of Roach’s now defunct secondhand clothing store in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. He sights that his love for fashion came from shopping in thrift stores, so he eventually decided to open up one of his own. This is also where he first began to receive notoriety, with Kanye West spotted not only shopping at the store in 2009, but later wearing pieces that he purchased.

His first celebrity client: Zendaya

Law Roach’s most notable and successful relationship came from his work with Zendaya. Roach was said to be a friend of Zendaya’s father, and the two were connected after she was coming off of Disney notoriety. It is still a wonder how Roach was able to transform the fresh-faced, teenage Disney star into a street style and red carpet fashion darling. Roach has gone on the record that Zendaya not only supports Roach’s retirement, but that they remain close friends. 

LaLa Anthony 

American TV personality LaLa Anthony was Roach’s first client that he styled for the Met Gala. She attended in 2014, and was styled in a custom purple Cushnie et Ochs gown and Lorriane Schwartz jewels. Roach had several clients attend in the years following, including Zendaya for the first time the year after. He also debuted one of his most iconic looks with Zendaya in 2019 – the Cinderella/Fairy Godfather gown for the “Camp” theme. 

Celine Dion 

While Zendaya is arguably the most iconic relationship that Roach had, Grammy award-winning artist Celine Dion comes in a close second. While Dion was always regarded as fashionable, Roach elevated her street style starting at Paris Fashion Week in 2016. In the process of them working together, she not only got her first invitation to the Met Gala, but she also launched Roach into critical acclaim. Dion, along with Zendaya accompanied Law on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Stylist Issue, in which Roach was the first Black man to ever cover the yearly issue. The feature covered Roach’s success as well as his relationship with his two biggest clients. 

Ariana Grande 

Pop sensation Ariana Grande has been in Roach’s style portfolio for many years, with his styling appearing in her Dangerous Woman tour, 13 music videos, and her Met Gala appearance. This relationship was proven to be mutually beneficial, with Grande landing her first high fashion campaign with Givenchy in 2019, and Roach continuing to book higher caliber clients like Tracee Ellis Ross, Anne Hathaway, Tiffany Haddish, and Naomie Harris.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Actress Anya Taylor-Joy is one of the more notable faces on Law Roach’s portfolio, but has also been cited as an example of the politics that Roach ran into during his career. After her stardom in hit show The Queen’s Gambit, she soon paired with Roach for the awards season. Within the year, critics noted her change in style, and began calling her a new high fashion darling. In 2021, the year Roach won his CFDA award for best stylist, she appeared alongside Zendaya and Roach on his second cover of The Hollywood Reporter. Within the next year, however, Taylor-Joy was named the global ambassador for Dior. This effectively removed Roach from making any styling decisions as it was now up to the discretion of the fashion house. 

Despite the sad departure of Roach from the styling world, he has said that he will not leave fashion completely. He has proven himself a multifaceted powerhouse, becoming an editor for British Vogue and appearing as a judge on multiple design shows while balancing his style career. The conversations he is opening are important, and it is vital to recognize the hard work of celebrity stylists like him. While we will no longer be graced with his styling on the red carpet, it is exciting to think what he will do next for the fashion industry. 

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