The Man Who Never Says No to Zendaya The Man Who Never Says No to Zendaya

The stylist Law Roach on his role as an “image architect,” being a diva and his master plan for what’s next.

Last March, Law Roach seemed to be at the peak of his career as a celebrity stylist. He had won the first stylist of the year award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and was working with Zendaya, Celine Dion, Anya Taylor-Joy and Anne Hathaway, among others. Then, out of the blue, he announced on Instagram that he was quitting.

“The politics, the lies, and false narratives finally got me!” he wrote. “You win … I’m out.”

Cue shock, horror and a lot of speculation. There were rumors that he had called Priyanka Chopra Jonas fat. Rumors that he had thrown a tantrum because Louis Vuitton wouldn’t seat him next to Zendaya in the front row. Whispers that he had become more of a diva than the divas he served. (He did, after all, call himself an “image architect,” trademark the term and insist that everyone else call him that, too.) But there were also questions about racism in fashion. And there was curiosity. Was it really over?

It was, it turned out, a somewhat dramatic career pivot.

On May 6, Mr. Roach is dressing Zendaya, a host of the Met Gala, which he is also attending. (He has been choreographing her wardrobe for the “Challengers” promotional tour.) The same day, he will make his debut as a judge on a new E! network show with Julia Fox, “OMG Fashun,” a competition series focused on upcycling old textiles into one-of-a-kind garments. He has a how-to book coming out. And he is plotting a certification course for would-be stylists, which will, essentially, mass-market and formalize his approach.

It’s about getting “at the core of who someone is,” he said. “The dress is the last part of it.” Here’s some of the rest.