The celebrity fashion industry was shook after renowned stylist to the stars Law Roach abruptly announced his alleged retirement.
The revered 44-year-old stylist–who has worked with Ariana Grande, Zendaya, Celine Dion, and Kerry Washington, and served as a permanent judge on HBO Max's Legendary–said he was calling it quits on social media.
While he didn't elaborate on specifics, the internet had a good idea of what prompted his decision, and it has to do with him being disrespected at a recent fashion show in Paris.
On Tuesday, Roach started an Instagram post with gratitude, writing:
"My Cup is empty….. thank you to everyone who’ve supported me and my career over the years. Every person that trusted me with their image, I’m so grateful for you all."
But what the self-proclaimed "image architect" said next indicated that the sudden move stemmed from resentment.
Basically, he was over the drama that he claimed comes with the territory.
He continued:
"If this business was just about the clothes I would do it for the rest of my life but unfortunately it’s not!" he said.
"The politics , the lies and false narratives finally got me! You win … I’m out."
His celebrity clients and friends were devastated to hear the news.
@luxurylaw/Instagram
@luxurylaw/Instagram
@luxurylaw/Instagram
Others supported his decision and wished him well.
@luxurylaw/Instagram
@luxurylaw/Instagram
@luxurylaw/Instagram
So what happened?
The internet speculated that the vintage expert stylist was miffed after being snubbed from having a front-row seat at the Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2023 fashion show.
A viral clip showed Zendaya–who was seated next to current Louis Vuitton ambassador Emma Stone and Delphine Arnault, the EVP of Louis Vuitton–pointing Roach to the empty seat behind her.
You can see the clip, here.
Jezebel noted that Zendaya's surprise appearance at the Louis Vuitton fashion show sparked rumors she could be the new brand ambassador for the luxury brand.
The fact that her attending the show was unplanned in advance could indicate the event organizers didn't account for the last-minute seating arrangement.
The clip of the snub became a viral meme.
It's unclear if the particular incident was enough for Roach to leave the fashion world for good.
But the internet already decided that was the case.
If the internet believed this to be true, Twitter users thought Roach was being petty since Zendaya helped launched the fashion outsider's career trajectory.
The two-time Emmy-winning actress known for her work in HBO's Euphoria, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and The Greatest Showman, was Roach's first celebrity client since he moved to Los Angeles.
Although he created many looks for the Met Gala, he made his first appearance at the New York City event in 2019 with Zendaya.
If his gripe was with the actress, Twitter thought it was unwarranted.
Roach made his styling debut by happenstance in 2009 when Ye walked into the stylist's Deliciously Vintage boutique in Chicago and brought the attention of paparazzi and industry insiders.
His shocking announcement could be rooted in something deeper than just the petty accusation.
Last year, he expressed his grievances with the cutthroat industry that has been called out by the late designer and artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection, Virgil Abloh, for systemic racism.
Roach told Fox Soul:
"You can’t talk to me any kind of way. You can’t treat me any kind of way…I’m not really afraid of this industry because I’m Black."
"I’m from the hood. I can always go back. If I have to rework what I’m doing, I’m not afraid of that.”
@chandlerparry/Threads
