Zendaya’s Stylist Shades Fashion Brands Who Refused to Work With Her Before She Was A-List

Outside of being one of the most in-demand actresses, Zandaya is slaying red carpets with her looks these days. And much credit goes to her longtime stylist, Law Roach. But not everyone has always been receptive to working with the Emmy winner. In fact, Roach says many top designers refused to dress the star as she was building a name for herself. And as a result, he won’t dress Zendaya in those brands now. 

“I would write the big five. I would write Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, Dior, and they would all say, ‘No, try again next year. She’s too green. She’s not on our calendar,’” Roach said during an interview with The Cutting Room Floor podcast. 

“I still have the receipts,” he continued. “By the time she got to [the cover of] American Vogue [in 2017], she still had never worn any of those designers. She still hasn’t.”

Roach has been Zendaya’s stylist since she was 14. He says Zendaya has worn the “big five” in editorial shoots, but never in public or during red carpet appearances. “She still has never worn Dior on a carpet. She still has never worn Chanel on a carpet. She has still never worn Gucci on a carpet — any press, any appearance, never. Never,” Roach said. “The first time she wore Valentino in public is when she had a contract. When I said, ‘If you say no, it’ll be a no forever,’ that rang true for a long, long time.”

Roach announced his retirement from styling last year but he continues to work with the Euphoria star. Previous clients also include Tiffany Haddish and Celine Dion. He stepped down from working with Haddish after he says the Girls Trip star seemingly engaged in shady business practices. 

Speaking to Jason Lee on his Hollywood Unlocked podcast, Roach said when Haddish was his client, he would inform her when brands were lowballing her as compared to the deals made for his other clients. He says he tried to give her tips on how to negotiate, but instead, she went back to the brands in question to complain: “Law Roach said yall lowballing me!”

As a result, he says she hurt his reputation. “She hired some new people and they didn’t like the way I did business and the way I did things for her and what happens is, these white people are always the gatekeepers… and they start saying things like ‘he is difficult to work with,” he said.