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Beloved celebrity stylist Law Roach sent the fashion world into a tailspin on Tuesday when he announced that he was retiring from the industry at the height of his career. The news comes just two months out from the Met Gala, one of fashion’s biggest annual spectacles, which Roach was all but certain to have been preparing for with a handful of household-name celebrities.
As of now, the only thing close to an explanation behind the sudden decision is Roach’s own Instagram caption, which reads, “If this business was just about the clothes I would do it for the rest of my life but unfortunately it’s not! The politics, the lies and false narratives finally got me! You win…I’m out.” Of course, that vague statement left plenty of room for speculation about Roach’s departure, giving weight to a popular theory that Zendaya’s blossoming relationship with Louis Vuitton (LVMH) may have spawned some discord.
On Monday, Zendaya, one of Roach’s longest-running and most sought-after clients, made a surprise appearance at LVMH’s Fall-Winter 2023 fashion show in Paris, sparking rumors that the Dune actor might be the luxury brand’s newest ambassador. Upon arrival, Zendaya was seated next to current ambassador Emma Stone and Delphine Arnault, the EVP of Louis Vuitton, while Roach was seemingly snubbed and not given a seat next to his muse in the front row (he was later seated in the front row in a different section).
That may seem like a relatively petty incident to potentially end a career over, but Roach has also been vocal about how cutthroat the fashion industry is to him as a marginalized person. A video currently circulating on Twitter from a 2020 Fox interview shows the stylist saying, “I command a certain amount of respect. If you’re not giving me that, we’re gonna have a problem…I’m self-made. I owe nobody shit in this industry. I’ll walk away from all that shit.”
While details are still to emerge on exactly what took place, Roach’s exit (if permanent) is a travesty for the entire industry, spelling the loss of an extraordinary Black talent. In the meantime, we’ve rounded up some of his most iconic red-carpet celebrity looks to chronicle his legacy.
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With her “image architect” (a title Roach assigned to himself), Zendaya upended expectations in this artfully tailored suit and leather tie. At the time, Grazia said the ensemble stole the show “in a sea of gowns.” —Emily Leibert
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Roach told E! News that when Grande tried on this ball gown—which was 20 feet in diameter—for the first time, he was moved to tears. Grande responded, “Well, this is the dress then.” —EL
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For the premiere of Emma at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles on a Tuesday night in 2020, Taylor-Joy wore a vintage Bob Mackie wedding gown, plucked from Roach’s own collection, which she paired with jewels by Mateo. —EL
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Harper’s Bazaar called this ensemble, featuring a cropped, long-sleeved top and a matching floor-length, body-hugging skirt with a fuzzy puff train, “breathtaking.” She paired the look with Jimmy Choo shoes and natural curls. Roach shared a video to his Instagram of Zendaya strutting in the look, aptly captioning the post, “She’s a grown woman.” —EL
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Zendaya stunned Venice crowds in this now iconic wet gown. It was custom-fitted to a model of her bust and accentuated by body-hugging leather pleats. Roach added Christian Louboutin pumps and a 93-carat emerald serpentine necklace from Bulgari, according to InStyle, to complement the simplicity of the dress. —EL
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Watson made a rare public appearance last September at the Kering Foundation’s Caring for Women Dinner in NYC. This reportedly marked the first time the actress worked with Roach, who posted a photo of Watson in the gown with the caption: “I’m having a great week… THIS happened yesterday!”
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For Taylor-Joy, her collaboration with Roach seemed to be a winning combo, given that the 24-year-old won a Best Actress Golden Globe for her role as chess aficionado Beth Harmon (The Queen’s Gambit) the same night she wore this dazzling emerald gown.
According to Vogue, Taylor-Joy worked alongside Roach and Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri on the Lurex dress and cape, which reportedly took three people and 300 hours to craft. Her accompanying Tiffany & Co. jewelry was valued at more than $1 million at the time. —EL
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“After I did that look, I stepped back to watch, and as she’s performing and I cried, I literally cried,” Roach told People in 2017 of styling Dion for her performance of “My Heart Will Go On.” “For me to have a small little piece in that legacy is incredible.” (He also told the magazine that the moment was so huge for him, it “almost felt like I had to retire.” But he didn’t! So maybe he won’t now!) —Lauren Tousignant
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Palmer wore the vibrant pink tulle gown to host the Time100 Next Gala. Roach, who also attended the Gala, decked out in custom Valentino, wrote on Instagram: “We had a time❤️❤️❤️” —LT
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Roach said he was inspired by a certain patron saint of France in creating Zendaya’s look for the 2018 Met Gala, whose theme was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” The actor, who was 21 at the time, said the metallic chainlink gown was as heavy as it looks. “I dreamt of Joan of Arc one night,” Roach told WWD. “And called Versace and was like, ‘What if we did something to reference Joan of Arc?’” —LT
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“At first, there were only supposed to be six looks, but it became so much bigger,” Roach told Vogue on working on the film that was released in IMAX in 2021. Roach put Halsey in Stéphane Rolland haute couture, and Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and Christian Lacroix. This marked Roach’s second time working on a film, following outfitting Zendaya for her role in Malcom & Marie. —LT
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This insane two-piece number kicked off Washington’s publicity tour for Little Fires Everywhere. Roach never misses! —LT
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Along with Zendaya, Roach’s most well-known celebrity muse is Dion, whose image he helped to completely revamp in 2016. During 2017 Paris Couture Week, Roach outfitted her in Balmain (left), Ralph & Russo (center), and Roberto Cavalli, among about 50 other looks (give or take) throughout the week. —LT
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“It’s honestly really about the dress, the boots, and Mary and her personality,” Roach told The Hollywood Reporter of Blige’s look for the Met Gala’s “Heavenly Bodies” theme. “Mary is the kind of artist who lets artists be artists.” —LT
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Of course, Roach had a hand in the Lohanaissance—the stylist dressed her for most, if not all, of her Failing for Christmas press tour. “I think we all missed her, you know? And seeing her at her best, in her element,” he told Harper’s Bazaar in December. “So I wanted to be a part of it.” In addition to this color-blocked three-piece suit, Roach dressed Lohan—whom he called “a bit of a fashion historian”—in Versace, Michael Kors, and Valentino. —LT
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Taylor-Joy walked the carpet in Venice, accessorized with Tiffany & Co. jewels, to promote Last Night in Soho. “I always get the girls that are a bit fearless when it comes to their style,” Roach told WWD of working with Taylor-Joy. “I would definitely say [her style] is fearless with a touch of whimsy.” —LT
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Roach (who styled 10 celebs for this Met Gala, including Addison Rae and Chance the Rapper) took the vintage 1999 Prada two-piece and turned it into this extraterrestrial, spider-girl getup for the gala’s 2021 theme: “In America: The Lexicon of Fashion.” Schafer’s makeup artist, Sandy Ganzer, described the vibe to Vanity Fair as: “A little bit of late ’90s grunge, a pinch of playful dystopian sci-fi, and just a sprinkle of romantic horror.” Fun! —LT
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This was literally three days ago. How can he possibly be serious about retiring?! —LT
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The infamous light-up Cinderella gown Zendaya wore for the Met Gala’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme was all Roach—who walked the red carpet as her imaginary (but also real-life) Fairy Godmother. —LT
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