Roach took to Instagram last night to share the news of his retirement, stating: 

“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. If this business was just about the 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. ”

While the internet speculates on what may have led Roach to make this decision, one moment that is being heavily discussed is when Law and Zendaya arrived at the AW23 Louis Vuitton show to find that there wasn’t a front row seat for the stylist. The debates online surrounding this moment could very well be one of the “false narratives” that Law was referring to, but without fuelling this fire the moment did bring into question, do celebrity stylists get enough credit?

Zendaya is a huge star, that goes without saying. It makes sense for her to be sat front row at a fashion show. When you consider the rumours that she will be becoming the new face of Louis Vuitton, it makes even more sense. What does not make sense though, is why the genius stylist behind her looks would not be sat there as well? Take Harris Reed’s first show for Nina Ricci as an example, that collection was made for the red carpet and who was sat front row? Beyoncé’s stylist, Marni Senofonte, and the one and only Law Roach. Celebrity endorsements are key in the luxury fashion industry, and so why would you not want to appeal to their stylists? They are the ones who are going to be the picking outfits, so it is important that they are taken into consideration. The stylists are often the ones who will know a lot more about fashion than the celebrities, they will be getting a lot more out of the show. Even in a relationship where the celebrities are heavily involved in styling decisions, they hired a stylist for a reason, they are the experts.

While the internet is divided on the whole Louis Vuitton drama, some thinking Law should have had a front row seat and others not, this conversation goes far beyond this show. The “politics” of celebrity fashion exist everywhere, they are present in every PR relationship between a star and a brand, but where does the stylist fit into all this? While we do not know anything for certain, it is being speculated that Zendaya’s rumoured contract with Louis Vuitton pushed Law out of the picture or limited his creative freedom. This again brings the treatment of celebrity stylists into question, as surely, they are an integral factor to consider when building celebrity relations in fashion and should be prioritised?

Marketing strategies and fashion show drama aside, I do feel that one thing is clear in this industry: We devour celebrity style, and we associate the outfits we see with the star wearing them. We even praise the designers behind the looks. But we often neglect the stylists. I don’t know if this comes down to our obsession with celebrity culture, making us care more about who is in the outfit than the look itself; or whether there is a deeper issue at hand making us praise the glamourous figureheads of fashion and neglect those who work behind the scenes. But one thing that has to be said, is that we don’t always ignore these figures. If a look is ‘bad’, that is the moment that everybody remembers the stylist. Why is it that we as a society do not credit a stylist’s success, but are so quick to blame them when we don’t like a look?

_{Words by: Amelia Gregory}

^{Header Image: Law Roach and Zendaya at Oscars After-Party 2023}

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