Law Roach on His Book, Zendaya, and His Self-Help Ambitions

When celebrity stylist Law Roach posted on Instagram that he was retiring in March 2023, a gasp was heard around the fashion world. The self-described “image architect” behind Zendaya’s many newsmaking fashion moments and the triumphant return of Céline Dion as a couture-loving icon was at the top of his game. He’d worked with Anya Taylor-Joy, Ariana Grande, and Megan Thee Stallion. He’d topped the Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Stylist list in 2021. Television had come calling too, with judging duties for America’s Next Top Model as well as Max’s Legendary, a reality show about ball culture. And perhaps the biggest accolade of them all, in 2022 Roach had earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award, the first ever for a stylist. When he made the announcement that he was done, he had just come off a successful awards season, styling a slew of A-list clients for major carpet moments, including Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer in a barely-there Ann Demeulemeester look and Kerry Washington in vintage Donna Karan for the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty. Why walk away from it all?

There was nothing easy, or inevitable, about Roach’s rise to the top as a celebrity stylist. Growing up in South Side Chicago, Roach was the oldest of five siblings. He talks openly about his personal struggle for financial stability. His love for fashion began early, with a penchant for thrifting during his teen years. Roach channeled that passion into creating his own vintage boutique, Deliciously Vintage, in Chicago and New York City. The store became a celebrity favorite and spurred Roach to strike out for Los Angeles, where he first met Zendaya. Their initial years working together were challenging—designer brands were hesitant to work with then-unknown talent. But by 2015, Zendaya debuted at the Met Gala in a Fausto Puglisi look styled by Roach, cementing them both among fashion’s elite.