Law Roach

Lawrence Roach is an American fashion stylist, best-known for his work with artists such as Zendaya, Céline Dion, and Anya Taylor-Joy. Roach served as a primary judge on the Max competition series Legendary (2020–2022). He announced his retirement from styling in 2023, dedicating himself to his creative relationship with Zendaya.^[1]

Law Roach
Born	(1978-07-20) July 20, 1978 (age 46)
Years active	2009–⁠Present
Career
Show	Legendary (Seasons 1–3)
Network	Max
Country	United States

Career

Law Roach grew up in Chicago where he started his career as a vintage broker. Soon after he moved to New York City where he opened his boutique.^[2]

For the 2021 Met Gala, Roach had the opportunity to style 10 celebrities, including Alton Mason, Kehlani, and Hunter Schafer.^[3]

He starred as a permanent judge on the HBO Max show Legendary with Megan Thee Stallion, Keke Palmer, Leiomy Maldonado, and Jameela Jamil.^[4][5]

As a stylist, some of his well-known clients are Celine Dion,^[6] Zendaya,^[7] Tom Holland^{[citation needed]}, Kerry Washington^{[citation needed]}, Anya Taylor-Joy,^[8] Ariana Grande, and Megan Thee Stallion.^[9] In 2016, Roach was announced as one of the judges for cycle 23 of America's Next Top Model, with Ashley Graham, Rita Ora and Drew Elliott. The following year, he partnered with Celine Dion to style her for Couture Week in Paris, and he became the first African-American stylist to cover the annual The Hollywood Reporter's issue of Stylist & Stars. Dion and Zendaya joined Roach for the cover.^[10]

He received the 2021 Gem Award for Jewelry Style.^[11] He received the inaugural stylist award for American Fashion at the 2022 CFDA Awards in New York.^[12]

Roach announced his retirement from styling via Instagram in March 14, 2023, stating that "if this business was just about 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."^[13][14] However, Roach later clarified that he still was working with Zendaya by stating "So y'all really think I'm breaking up with Z...we are forever!" and "She's my little sister and it's real love not the fake industry love."^[15][16] Roach later stated it was best for him to "walk away from the industry for a while" to focus on his mental and physical health.^[17]

In his March 17, 2023 interview with The Cut,^[18] Roach cited burnout and a desire to live a happier life as reasons for his retirement. Roach discussed the challenges he faces in the industry, including "false narratives perpetuated by gatekeepers and intermediaries." He expressed frustration at the loss of clients due to these aforementioned narratives, which "are often untrue." Roach additionally emphasized his love for fashion and his commitment to protecting his clients, but expressed a desire to be better taken care of in return. He also mentioned that another one of his reasons for retirement was because he "got overwhelmed and never got a chance to properly grieve a great loss," which he refers to as the death of his nephew.

Personal life

Roach is gay.^[19] In 2023, Roach declared himself to be aromantic.^[20]

Through a series of Instagram stories in 2021, Roach revealed the death of his three-year-old nephew.^[21] According to the Chicago Police Department Office of Communications, Law's nephew died on November 23, 2021 after falling out of a window on the 17th story of a Chicago building with the screen drawn inward.^[22][23]

Filmography

Year	Title	Genre	Role	Notes
2016–18	America's Next Top Model	TV	Main judge	Season 23–24 (30 episodes)
2018	Red Carpet Icons		Himself	Season 1
2020–22	Legendary	TV	Main judge	Season 1–3 (29 episodes)
2021	Malcolm & Marie	Film	N/A	Costume Designer
2021	If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power	Film	N/A	Costume Designer
2022–23	The Drew Barrymore Show	TV	Himself	Guest (Season 3, 2 episodes)
2023	Project Runway	TV	Himself	Guest judge (Season 20, episode 13)
2024	RuPaul's Drag Race	TV	Himself	Guest judge (Season 16, episode 6)
2024	RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked	TV	Himself	Guest (1 episode)

References

1. Phillips, Zoe G. (May 11, 2024). "Law Roach Names 'Big Five' Designers Who Refused to Dress Zendaya: "If You Say No, It'll Be a No Forever"". The Hollywood Reporter.
2. "Law Roach is part of the BoF 500". The Business of Fashion. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
3. "Image Architect Law Roach Styled a Whopping 10 Celebrities for the Met Gala". September 14, 2021. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
4. Warrington, Ruby (October 6, 2018). "Law Roach: the stylist who transformed Céline Dion and Zendaya". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
5. "He found fashion fame with Zendaya. Now, stylist Law Roach makes a name for himself". Los Angeles Times. September 6, 2019. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
6. Harwood, Erika (July 10, 2017). "How Céline Dion Became a Fashion Icon at 49". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
7. Nordstrom, Leigh (January 12, 2021). "10 Years of Zendaya and Law Roach Magic". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
8. "He found fashion fame with Zendaya.His longest-running association, with the actress Zendaya, resulted in a clothing line with Tommy Hilfiger. Now, stylist Law Roach makes a name for himself". Los Angeles Times. September 6, 2019. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
9. Okwodu, Janelle (July 9, 2019). "Law Roach on Ariana Grande's Singular Style Evolution". Vogue. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
10. "Law Roach is part of the BoF 500". The Business of Fashion. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
11. "Stylist Law Roach to Receive 2021 Gem Award for Jewelry Style". National Jeweler. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
12. "Law Roach, This Year's CFDA Stylist Honoree". Vogue. November 3, 2022. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
13. @luxurylaw (March 14, 2023). "My Cup is empty..." – via Instagram.
14. Gardner, Chris (April 6, 2023). "Law Roach on Retirement, Rage and Why He Hasn't Driven a Car in Nearly a Decade". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
15. @LUXURYLAW (March 15, 2023). "So y'all really think I'm breaking up with Z...we are forever!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
16. @LUXURYLAW (March 15, 2023). "She's my little sister and it's real love not the fake industry love" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
17. "Stylist Law Roach working on his health post-retirement". ABC News.
18. "Law Roach on Why He Retired from Celebrity Fashion Styling". March 17, 2023.
19. "Law Roach, Image Architect™". Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
20. "Celeb Stylist Law Roach Comes Out as Aromantic". April 28, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
21. Knapp, JD (November 28, 2011). "Law Roach's Nephew, 3, Dies After Falling Out of a 17-Story Window in Chicago". People. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
22. "Celebrity Stylist Law Roach Mourns 3-Year-Old Nephew Who Died After Falling Out of a Window". E!. November 28, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
23. "Celebrity stylist's three-year-old nephew dies after falling out of 17-storey window". The Independent. November 29, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.

Further reading

• Wilson, Jennifer (September 16, 2024). "The Architect of Zendaya's Red-Carpet Style". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 18, 2024.