Earlier this week, Law Roach announced that, after working for a decade as a celebrity stylist, he was “retiring” from the profession that made him famous. “My Cup is empty…thank you to everyone who’ve supported me and my career over the years,” Roach wrote on Instagram. The stylist explained that is was “the politics, the lies, and false narratives” that pushed him out of the business.
The industry’s reaction was swift, with everyone from Naomi Campbell to Christian Siriano begging Roach to reconsider. Many assumed it was a stunt, that Roach would announce a new business venture in a few days time, but a day later, he doubled down on the decision, while also clarifying the terms of his retirement.
“I’m not saying I’m retiring from fashion,” he said. “I love fashion. I love the businesses, and I love being creative. What I’m retiring from is the celebrity styling part of it: the being in service and at service of other people.” Still, there is one person he will continue to work with—his longest-running client, Zendaya, who he has been styling since 2012. Roach helped Zendaya transition from a Disney starlet to a bonafide movie star and red carpet icon.
“So y’all really think I’m breaking up with Z…we are forever,” Roach tweeted, ending the wave of assumptions that took over fashion Twitter following his initial announcement. As for if he will continue to work with his other clients—like Hunter Schafer, Tom Holland, Kerry Washington, and Megan Thee Stallion—it’s unclear. But in honor of Roach’s transition out of celebrity styling (at least partially), we’ve rounded up some of his best looks from over the past decade. Spoiler: get ready to see a whole lot of Zendaya.
The day before the SAG Awards, though, Zendaya walked the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards in a black and green gown from Versace’s spring/summer 2002 couture collection.
When Lindsay Lohan hit the promo tour for her Netflix film, Falling for Christmas, she knew exactly who to call for her styling needs. Of course, Roach rose to the occasion, putting Lohan in this bright, color-blocked suit from Akris’ fall 2022 ready-to-wear collection.
Roach and Bella Hadid had quite the run at Cannes last year. Though the model takes pride in putting together her own street style statements, she had begun to call on Roach to help her for carpets. The stylist put the model in many vintage looks, including a white, long-sleeved Tom Ford-era Gucci dress from 1996.
Another incredible suiting moment: Zendaya in Sportmax for the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar party.
Kerry Washington was impossible to miss at the 28th annual SAG Awards in a neon yellow Celia Kritharioti gown.
Roach also dressed Hailee Steinfeld for the awards, putting her in a custom embellished Miu Miu column dress with a torso cutout.
Roach loves dressing to a movie’s theme and he had a lot of fun during the Spider-Man: No Way Home tour styling both of his clients, Zendaya and Tom Holland. For the Los Angeles premiere, he put Zendaya in a spot-on custom Valentino couture dress, while Holland wore a brown, double-breasted Prada suit.
Zendaya wore custom Vera Wang when she took home the Fashion Icon Award at the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards, an honor she can attribute in part to Roach.
Like for Spider-Man, Roach also embraced the dessert-set, sci-fi theme of Dune when dressing Zendaya for the promo tour. At the UK premiere, the actress looked other-worldly in a sculpted Rick Owens fall 2021 dress.
Roach styled 10 people for the 2021 Met Gala (including himself), but our favorite look of the evening has to be Alton Mason in custom Theophilio with United Nude x Shaun Ross boots.
Roach stopped styling Taylor-Joy not long after this custom Dior haute couture moment at the Venice Film Festival in 2021, but the duo most definitely went out with a bang.
Only icons have worn this Versace 2003 dress: Zendaya and Beyoncé.
Zendaya channeled Cher in an electric yellow Valentino haute couture dress and long, loose hair at the Oscars in 2021.
Roach and Zendaya love toeing the line between high and low fashion. A perfect example: this Valentino haute couture ball gown with a white tank for the Critics Choice Awards.
Roach pulled this vintage Bob Mackie wedding dress from his own archive.
Kerry Washington embodied Nefertiti in Zuhair Murad at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2020.
Roach styled his Legendary co-judge, Jameela Jamil, in a paillette-covered Georges Chakra dress with a sheer panel for the 2020 Grammys.
Who could forget Ariana Grande floating down the Grammys red carpet in this cloud of a dress from Giambattista Valli?
Long before breast plates were trending, Roach put Zendaya in a hot pink Tom Ford one for the Critics Choice Awards.
Roach always had a lot of fun with Jamil’s looks. Case in point: this feather-covered Prabal Gurung.
What better way to show off Zendaya’s line with Tom Ford than by putting her in one of the looks?
A red-headed Zendaya looked at home in London in a posh Alexandre Vauthier suit.
Probably one of Roach’s most memorable moments as a designer was when he played the Fairy Godmother to Zendaya’s Cinderella, making her Tommy Hilfiger gown glow with the wave of his magic wand.
Grande may have ditched the Grammys in 2019, but she still gave her custom Zac Posen dress its moment to shine on Instagram.
One of Roach and Zendaya’s more underrated looks—this ethereal marigold and pink feathered Marc Jacobs dress she wore in 2018.
Very much not underrated, though, was this marigold, purple, and black corseted Ralph & Russo dress the actress wore to the GQ Men of the Year event in 2018.
Roach paired this chocolate brown structured August Getty mini dress with graphic gold Paula Mendoza earrings for the MTV Movie & TV Awards in 2018.
More proof that the Met Ball is where Roach does some of his best work: Zendaya as Joan of Arc in Versace at the Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Gala in 2018.
And yes, Roach was behind this ethereal Vera Wang moment as well.
Roach and Zendaya went mod for a Tiffany & Co. event in 2018 with the help of a light blue Dice Kayek dress with oversized sleeves and a bow detail on the neck.
For the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2018, Roach dressed Holland in a gorgeous, maroon Dolce & Gabbana three-piece suit.
He also styled Zendaya for the Oscars that year, putting her in an asymetric brown Giambattista Valli dress.
Back in the day, Roach counted Mary J. Blige as a client, and in 2018 he dressed her in Versace for the Academy Awards.
Roach and Zendaya channeled David Byrne with an ‘80s style Marc Jacobs color blocked suit.
Roach and Jean-Louis Sabaji turned Blige into the Black Swan for the SAG Awards in 2018.
Yes, Roach dressed Mimi too, putting her in a sheer, ruched Dolce & Gabanna gown for the 2018 Golden Globes.
Another press tour, another mastering of a theme. For The Greatest Showman Australia premiere, Roach turned Zendaya into a beautiful butterfly with the help of Moschino.
And, of course, she needed a ring master moment, so Ralph Lauren was the obvious choice.
Roach dressed Demi Lovato in a sheer, ruched dress by Ester Abner for the AMAs in 2017.
He also worked with Jada Pinkett-Smith for a time, putting her in a golden, one-shoulder Prabal Gurung for the Girls Trip premiere.
Who can forget when Celine Dion took Paris couture week by storm? She enlisted Roach to style all her looks and this all-white Ralph & Russo ensemble with a Celine bag may have been her best of the week.
Four years before Barbiecore took over fashion, Zendaya wore a hot pink Ralph & Russo dress to the Spider-Man: Homecoming premiere.
Roach didn’t only style Dion for fashion weeks, but for red carpets as well. In 2017, he put her in this Stephane Rolland haute couture dress with dramatic sleeves for the Billboard Music Awards, where she was honored with the Icon Award.
Zendaya wore a patterned, off-the-shoulder Dolce & Gabbana dress to the Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between Met Gala in 2017.
Roach styled Dion in a periwinkle, long-sleeved Christian Siriano dress with a dramatic sleeve detail for the Beauty & the Beast premiere.
In 2017, Dion wore an embellished green Zuhair Murad couture dress to the Grammy Awards.
Grande wore a black and blue graphic Atelier Versace cutout dress to the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.
For her second-ever Met Gala, Zendaya wore a golden, one-shoulder Michael Kors dress, which Roach styled with a unique bowl-cut hairdo.
This D-Squared tuxedo was already a moment on its own, but Roach took it to the next level when he styled it with a mullet. The entire look was a tribute to David Bowie.
No one does glamour better than Roach and Zendaya. In 2016, the actress wore a tiered, maroon floral Marchesa dress to her first Golden Globes.
Roach made the iconic choice to style this white Vivienne Westwood gown with dreads for the 2015 Oscars. E! News correspondent Giuliana Rancic made an offensive comment about the look, causing Zendaya to respond, saying, “There is already harsh criticism of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair. My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough. To me locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion’s mane.”
The first time Roach ever styled Jessie J, he put her in a mint green vintage Halston dress for the 2014 VMAs.
Roach and Zendaya really hit their stride as a pair in 2013 when he styled her in a Donna Karan resort 2014 tunic and pants for the AMAs.
This post was originally published on W Magazine
