Zendaya has defended her longtime friend and former stylist, Law Roach, after the viral seating mix-up at the Louis Vuitton show.
For her Elle cover story, the Euphoria star spoke about the unfortunate situation that took place in early March before Roach’s public retirement announcement. At the 6 March Louis Vuitton show, Zendaya and Roach arrived late, approaching the front row. But as the pop artist found her place next to Emma Stone with a filled spot on the other side, it became clear that Roach was placed in a different section.
Roach took to his Instagram soon after to announce he would no longer be styling celebrities due to “politics” and “lies”. Fans suggested a connection between the two events, causing the video of Roach at the French fashion house show to go viral. Additionally, style fanatics feared Zendaya and Roach’s 12-year partnership would be over.
However, Zendaya cleared the air when speaking to Elle. “When it happened, I said: ‘Oh no, I hope people don’t try to create something from this,’” she told the outlet. The Dune actor explained that she and Roach couldn’t find his seat.
“We’re so used to sitting together that he didn’t know where to go,” Zendaya noted. “But obviously, people want to assume the worst of the situation, which is not always easy to deal with and hurtful.”
The music collaborator met Roach while he was working at his vintage store when she was only 14 years old. Both A-listers have referred to one another as family, emphasising how their relationship surpasses that of a normal stylist partnership.
“I ride super hard for my team, especially for people I love,” Zendaya pointed out. “[Roach is] involved in every fashion contract, everything I do. If I have an opportunity where he can come with me, he’s always going to be there.”
She continued: “He’s always been my creative director in a sense, and he continues to fill that role, because it’s more than just clothes on a red carpet. It’s a bigger thing.”
Though Roach has halted his work with other celebrities, including Kerry Washington, Celine Dion, Hunter Schafer, and Priyanka Chopra, he confessed to Interview Magazine’s Mel Ottenberg that he couldn’t just leave Zendaya behind. “How can I just pick up and leave somebody when I’m the only stylist they’ve ever had? She’s literally the one client where I’m like: ‘That is my family.’”
“Our relationship is like family, so I don’t think I’m going anywhere - and even if I wanted to, she wouldn’t let me,” the style Visionaire told Elle.
To him, the disappointing part of the Louis Vuitton Paris Fashion Week fiasco was how outsiders seemed to blame Zendaya for “not taking care of him”.
Roach proclaimed: “That became really tough, because it made people think that Zendaya wasn’t taking care of me and wasn’t making sure I was taken care of.” He referred to the Emmy award-winning actress as one of his “biggest supporters.”
Through Roach and Zendaya’s collaboration, the former Disney Channel favorite has transformed into a muse for luxury fashion houses and a highly anticipated arrival on every red carpet.
