7 of Law Roach’s Best Celebrity Style Transformations

IN THE REALM of fashion, Law Roach is the man with the Midas touch. Throughout his illustrious career, the Chicago-born self-described “image architect” has been responsible for some of the most dramatic and iconic celebrity transformations in recent memory. In 2021, he became the first Black person ever to be named The Hollywood Reporter’s Most Powerful Stylist (a title he also took out last year, too) and in 2022 he picked up the first-ever CFDA Stylist Award. Over time, he has also blurred the lines between celebrity and stylist, becoming a fixture of front rows, red carpets, photoshoots and even catwalks in his own right.

Ultimately, it’s safe to say that Roach is something of an icon. Accordingly, when he announced his shock retirement last week — the day after the Oscars, no less — a fashion emergency was called. And while Roach did later clarify that he is not leaving the fashion industry entirely, he is stepping back from the celebrity styling role he has been so lauded for. So, in honour of the end of an era, we are looking back at just how Roach transformed Hollywood’s style, and in doing so became one of the most influential men in modern fashion. Ahead, discover the best of his celebrity style transformations, from Zendaya to Lindsay Lohan.

Zendaya

Inarguably, Roach’s mainstream recognition is largely thanks to his work with long-time friend Zendaya — “If it wasn’t for Zendaya, I wouldn’t exist in this industry,” he previously told BAZAAR US — who he met when she was 14 during her role in the Disney show Shake it Up.

Roach can be credited for the making of a fashion maven in the actress, who is consistently one of the most anticipated red-carpet arrivals during awards season.

“We kind of grew up together, and we built our careers together,” Roach told CNN last year. “We’re still working together now and we’ll probably be working together for the next 30 years if we choose to. Also in a way, we became this blueprint for what people want a talent and stylist relationship to look like, which is a beautiful thing.”

Celine Dion

In a 2018 profile, The Guardian introduced Roach as “the man responsible for Céline Dion’s 2016 transformation, practically overnight, from midlife chanteuse to fashion maven.”

The pair began their working relationship with a 45-minute meeting, which led to a month of travel in Paris to take care of the songstress’ street-style wardrobe. Roach was soon in charge of her red-carpet and stage looks. Of all the outfits he created for Dion, the one seen above — in which she wears a Vetements sweatshirt referencing Titanic, the movie she famously soundtracked — is arguably the most iconic.

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan teaming up with Law Roach was so major that we wrote a whole article about it. The pair began working together last year — so the fracas where Lohan ragged on Zendaya’s 2019 Met Gala dress for looking too much like Clare Danes’s from a few years prior was all water under the bridge!

Of the actress, Roach later said, “We had so many things in common… that it felt like we had known each other for years.”

Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra and Law Roach “instantly bonded” when they first began working together several years ago. He went on to create an array of regal looks for the actress, and can be credited for helping evolve Chopra’s style as she matured in her career.

Addison Rae

Having worked together on occasion beforehand, Roach made a splash when he helped the TikTok star make her Met Gala debut in 2021. But while that may be the most famous look he created for the star, the most indicative of her style transformation was the black outfit he constructed for her to wear to the 2011 MTV Movie & TV awards. Seen above, the ensemble was the first move to help Rae shed her clean-cut social media star image and put her in the path to Gen Z fashion icon status.

Anya Taylor Joy

Roach’s partnership with Anya Taylor-Joy could not have been more perfectly timed, with their pair linking up just as her career exploded thanks to her role in Queens Gambit. Taylor-Joy became a fast fixture on best-dressed lists with her elegant, whimsical looks — the most famous of which were styled by Roach.

Ariana Grande

Remember Ariana Grande’s Giambattista Valli gown from the 2020 Grammys? Yep, that was Roach’s work.

As he did with Zendaya, from when they began working together in 2016, Roach elevated Grande’s style and helped her shed her long-held child star persona.