At the biggest party of the year in Hollywood - Vanity Fair's bash after the Oscars - Hunter Schafer stole the red carpet wearing a single white feather as a bra. At the other end of the spectrum was Megan Thee Stallion, who, next to the significant amount of nakedness on the step-and-repeat, gave us a different take on glamour in a fabulous, fish-tail gown from Bach Mai. What both these looks had in common was the person - make that the 'image architect' - behind them: Law Roach.
Almost as famous as the talent he dresses, it's no exaggeration to say that Law - whose current roster of clients reads like a who's who of Hollywood - has changed the game of celebrity styling. This is why it sent something of a seismic shock through the industry when yesterday he posted a bumper sticker of one word: 'RETIRED'.
'My cup is empty,' he said, thanking the people he's worked with over the years. 'The politics, the lies and false narratives finally got me! You win…I’m out.' The comments underneath said it all. Naomi Campbell: 'Law I won’t let you!!!!' Christian Siriano: 'Absolutely not.' Pierpaolo Piccioli: 'No way.' Iman: 'Too talented to retire.' As to the possible motive behind his decision, Law left a cryptic trail of breadcrumbs. 'If this business was just about the clothes,' he wrote, 'I would do it for the rest of my life but unfortunately it’s not!' Hmm.
If you believe the rumour mill, his retirement might have something to do with the seating situation at Louis Vuitton. Law attended with Zendaya, the woman he's helped turn into a fashion legend, and was reportedly asked to sit second row on arrival because of an oversubscribed frow. Whether or not that's true, his statement, which goes on to call out, 'the politics, the lies and false narratives', would suggest something deeper.
As Niecy Nash put it: 'We all come or go on our OWN terms. If you’re done because you want your next role, blessings to you…. If you’re having a “moment”, keep your main character energy! Either way: you got this!' Time will tell, but one thing's for sure, the red carpet will never been the same again.
His relationship with Zendaya, probably the most impeccably dressed person in Hollywood, was something special from the start. At 2019's Met Gala, Zendaya appeared in a gigantic princess gown that lit up with a little help from her fairy godmother: Law Roach. They walked the red carpet together - a wand that issued actual smoke clasped in his hand - and, quite simply, slayed the camp dress code. Since then, he's been a pioneering force for putting vintage looks on the red carpet. For Zendaya's most recent appearance at the NAACP Awards, Law dug out a spectacular black-and-lime strapless gown from Versace SS02. (The CFDA actually made all this official in 2021, when Zendaya, who at the time was 25, became the youngest ever person to win the body's Fashion Icon Award.)
On Instagram, she said: 'This moment meant the world to @luxurylaw and I.' That says it all.