After a briefpause to awards seasondue to COVID-19, image architectLaw Roachis back doing one of the things he does best: creating magic fashion moments on the red carpet with an A-list roster that literally spans from A (Anya Taylor-Joy) to Z (longtime clientZendaya).
And though the stylist’s calendar is non-stop, Law carved out time to team up with global fashion and lifestyle brandSHEINfor the brand’s debutSHEIN X 100K Challenge, in which participating emerging designers will have the chance to win $100,000, as well as the chance to be included in the brand’s Fall/Winter 2021 virtual fashion showcase.
Law’s work will be highlighted in the episode airing on August 29 onSHEIN’s free app(as well as the brand’s official YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook). Other judges on the series, which airs Sundays through Sept. 12, will include Khloé Kardashian, Christian Siriano, Jenna Lyons andInStyleStyle Director Laurel Pantin.
The series announcement generated some backlash in regards tothe fast fashion brand’s impact on the environment, as well ascriticism that it copies designs from independent designers.
In response, SHEIN said in a statement to PEOPLE, “SHEIN takes these issues very seriously and respects the intellectual property rights of artists and designers. We have policies and procedures in place to monitor and swiftly rectify any issues. … The judges who participated in the SHEIN X 100k Challenge support emerging, small and independent designers and we are all excited to see their designs and creativity come to life on the show.”
Ahead of his episode, Law opened up to PEOPLE about the competition, his take on fast fashion, his life as an image architect, and more.
Easton Schirra
PEOPLE: How did you become known as an “image architect”? Why was it important for you for that to be your title?
Law Roach: “I came up with that title really early in my career. So I think I had a little foresight to know what I would eventually become. But I just was doing a deep dive of what I thought I was doing with the clients. For me, it felt like a little bit more than just what stylists were doing, even though I had no idea, because I’ve never worked for another stylist. So it was just me thinking about the value that I thought that I would be able to add.
Bringing in different components and building a real plan that started to feel like blueprints, to me. I was like, ‘Well, this is really similar to what an architect does for a structure. I’m just doing it for a person and their image.’ So I took that and started to use it. Then I trademarked it a few years ago. So I am the only image architect in the world. I own that title.”
PEOPLE: One of the reasons why we love red carpet season so much is because it’s almost like a real-time fairytale. In a normal year, you have several opportunities to tell a story with a client. How has the past year been different for you?
Law Roach: “Honestly, I’ve been blessed to really continuously work throughout all of it, [with] safety as my priority … I think that’s one of the beautiful things about that time and us as humans, our ability to pivot and to adapt to what’s going on. I think that definitely happened in my business, but it never felt that it hindered anything. We love doing the work, and we were just able to do the work the way that became the new normal for us.”
PEOPLE: Was it hard to maintain a level of creativity?
Law Roach: “In the beginning of it, it was hard for all of us. We had the same struggles. The what ifs? The not knowing. The doubt. The fear.
But once I kind of got the reins on all of that, it became a really beautiful time. I had time to focus and do more research and be better at my craft, find smaller brands across the world. My whole career has been based on finding, using, nurturing, promoting, mentoring up-and-coming designers.
That’s why I’m so excited about being involved in this project: The amount of lives that SHEIN will touch with this project is going to be incredible. I don’t think that people really understand the change that this company is going to [provide] these smaller brands.”
PEOPLE: Tell us a little bit more about this project and why you wanted to commit to it?
Law Roach: “I think we can have a lot of conversations about change. But for someone to actually take their platform, give it to people who are emerging and don’t know the complete scope of how to run a business and to learn from a business that is very successful, that is how you really push through change.
That way of thinking and that school of thought, it’s just really means something to me. I work from spirit and out of things that make me feel good and fulfill my soul. This partnership felt that way to me. It’s everything that I stand for. So it was easy for me to make time to be committed to it.”
PEOPLE: Some of your fans had a negative reaction to you partnering with SHEIN. You basically said, “Just wait until this airs, and you’ll see why I chose to do this”-
Law Roach: “Yeah, those were my only words: Just watch it, meet these people and see the joy. Learn what the process is and listen to the language. I really believe in what they’re doing, and that makes me feel good about being a part of it.
shein
PEOPLE: You’re very much known for your high-fashion sensibility, and you have a passion for vintage clothing. Can you share a little bit about your interest in fast fashion? Do you see a benefit to it in the industry?
Law Roach: “I do. I’m going to be really honest … I grew up really, really poor. Growing up with nothing, really, I wanted to look like my friends, I would have loved to be trendy. I can’t tell a young me on the South Side of Chicago, sharing a one bedroom apartment with my five brothers and sisters and my mom, that I have to get the $20 t-shirt.
We are at the tip of the movement with sustainability, [and] in fast fashion it’s going to be a slow process. I think we have to work harder together to fix it and be more kind to the planet. But fast fashion brands are giving people access to things that they want, at a price that they can afford.”
PEOPLE: We talk so much about the looks you create for others, but what is your personal style philosophy?
Law Roach: “Try on what you like, wear what you love. That’s it. Wear it as much or as little as you want. But do it for you. Don’t listen to the things that people say, or people like me saying, ‘You shouldn’t wear that because of your body type.’ If you see it and you like it, you buy it, you fall in love with it, wear it.
Fashion has the ability to transport us and transform us into anything we want. It makes you feel good and beautiful. That’s such a great power and it’s so easily accessed. In my personal life, my clothes have been becoming a little more gender-neutral. I’m really enjoying just wearing big, long skirts. The look that I wore [in my episode] is a woman’s piece. But it’s just everything that I really like. That’s just making me feel really good in my personal life and wardrobe.”
PEOPLE: You often make references to iconic fashion and pop culture moments. How important is it for you to pay homage to things that have happened in the past? And to find creative ways to push them forward?
It’s also important for me [to share] things that are important to my culture and things that people who look like me will understand, and for me to show that in my work too. I think one of my biggest things in my life is, as I learn, I teach. So to be able to tell both of those stories seamlessly and in a way that that feels elevated and that gives people the opportunities to learn, that’s really important to me.”
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
source: people.com
