Law Roach Defends Zendaya After Announcing Retirement: "Not Fake Industry Love"

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2021 CFDA Fashion Awards
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 10: Law Roach and Zendaya attend the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards at The Grill Room on November 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
He's styled Megan Thee Stallion, Celine Dion, Ariana Grande, Bella Hadid...the list goes on. But people went after Zendaya & Law wasn't having it.

He has helped style some of the industry's biggest stars, has an unmatched reputation in the fashion industry, and calls Zendaya a good friend and client—but Law Roach is done. Many were introduced to the luxury stylist thanks to HBO Max's Legendary series. He partnered with a team of other Icons to judge groups competing in the Ballroom competition. You can find him sitting front row at the hottest runway shows and often posing on the runway with Zendaya. Such a moment occurred recently at the Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week, which sparked controversy.

In a video, Zendaya is seen arriving at the show and taking the last seat in the front row. Roach then follows, but he doesn't have a place to sit. Zendaya points to a chair behind her in the second row, and the stylist looks visibly irked by the exclusion. It isn't a far-fetched reaction, considering he's worked with the likes of Bella Hadid, Mary J. Blige, Megan Thee Stallion, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion—to name a handful. However, after the video went viral, Roach announced his retirement.

Law Roach Calls Zendaya His "Little Sister"

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: (L-R) Zendaya and Law Roach attend the HBO Max FYC event for "Euphoria" at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on April 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)

Soon, people were lauding Roach, begging him to stay in the fashion game. Even Naomi Campbell jumped in his comments to let him know he couldn't leave. Additionally, Zendaya took hard criticism for the Fashion Week faux pas, but Roach didn't want to hear any of it. "So y'all really think I'm breaking up with Z….. we are forever!" he tweeted. "She's my little sister and it's real love not the fake industry love."

He also spoke with Vogue about his unexpected announcement of retirement. He explained that the industry is like working in a "bubble," and he dedicates his life to his clients. For him, it's time to take a step back. "If you have never experienced being a child and going to bed hungry, you will never understand the reason why I work the way I work," said Law. "I still wake up every morning with that gut-wrenching feeling that this can be over and I can go back to where I came from. And where I came from was nothing, you know? So that's the reason why, in my own mind, I felt like it was okay to put myself on the back burner for everybody else."

A Hot Topic In Fashion

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 10: Law Roach and Zendaya attend the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards at The Grill & The Pool Restaurants on November 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the video of that Fashion Week moment is hard to come by. Zendaya hasn't said a peep about the controversy, but others have weighed in. It was speculated that someone took Law's front-row seat—as they are assigned—and dismissed the fashion icon. It wasn't the actress's fault, and the fashion world has been up in arms about the display.

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About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.
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