Law Roach On Styling Zendaya, Ariana Grande & Fashion’s Biggest Moments | SheerLuxe Podcast

0:00You're listening to the Shear Lux Team podcast. Expect fashion inspo, dilemma solving and all the latest recommendations you could possibly want from the Shear Lux Team. Don't forget also to please subscribe to our channel. Check out our free newsletter that lands in your inbox every single day and follow us on Instagram and TikTok too. Welcome back to the Shear Lux podcast. This week to mark the end of London Fashion Week, we have got a London Fashion Week special with the one and only image architect, Law Roach. who talks us through his favorite ever Zendaya look. I sat with myself and I said, you will never beat this.

0:36Like you will never beat me. That's a lot of pressure on your sister. So I had to, I had to like recalibrate my brain to understand like, I can't beat it. I can't beat it. And no one else can either. What's going to happen on the press tour for the new Ariana Grande Wicked 2? I get to play in the world of Glinda. I literally had a full studio just full of pink. And what job he would do if he wasn't a stylist. Oh, please explain. It's a very weird. It is a really fun episode. Make sure you enjoy.

1:18Can I just take a second to shout out my latest obsession with V &Co's dead flat matte paint? We've been working with V &Co recently on our sheer luxe color palette, which are all sort of dreamy, muted shades with some pops of pinks, greens and blues. And they all come in V &Co's signature dead flat matte finish. It's this perfectly velvety finish that just gives every surface a very luxe feel, super soft and calming. The richness and depth of the color really helps to absorb the light in your room to soften the whole feel that can work to your advantage if you've got a really bright space or trying to make a low light room feel a little bit cosier.

1:52Either way, this is the perfect paint to achieve that gorgeous luxury feel in any of our eight Sheerlux shades or in the other V &Co palettes. Definitely one to use if you've got a decorating project coming up. Welcome back to the Sheerlux podcast. I'm your host today, Nana Champong. And today I'm joined by Sapna and we have a very special guest, the legendary image architect, Laura Chai. Hi. from dressing Zendaya in some of the most talked about red carpet looks from the last decade and redefining what it means to be a stylist with some of the most epic fashion moments that have been truly unforgettable.

2:28We are so excited to have you here. Today we are going to be talking all things fashion obviously, what's trending, what we're looking forward to and everything in between and then we're going to finish off with a quick fire round for you. perfect hope you're ready for that but before we get going please please do subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast it really helps us out and we will be so thankful what we usually start off with is what we're wearing but today we're actually it's friday it's five o 'clock somewhere so we're gonna start off with a little cocktail We started with the cocktail.

3:08Yeah. We started with the cocktail. This will get spicy. So we are going to enjoy your brand new cocktail from Johnny Walker, Black Ruby. This is my new cocktail that I'm very proud of. Eye contact. Eye contact. No one wants bad sex. Oh my gosh. Well, I actually brought a couple bottles for you guys. Oh, that's amazing. Personally signed. Wow. Stop it. That's so cool. That is amazing. I think it's really sexy. I think the bottle is sexy. The color is sexy. And it really speaks to me because I'm black and my birthstone is ruby. So I feel like it was created, crafted just for me. So chic. Thank you so much.

3:51It kind of matches my outfit. I'm not fine. Yeah. Oh, you too. Yeah. Look at us. It matches the lining of yours. Yeah, it does. Because I've got some. We're kind of matching now. There's some ruby in there. Before I was a stylist I was a bartender No way Oh my gosh So you know how to make All the cocktails You know in a past life Yeah But yeah yeah Because the thing about Being a bartender is Once you learn how to make The drink once You kind of know it Yeah You kind of get it It doesn't change right Yeah You can have your little Spin variations on it But the base of it Is still the same And so If someone sees you like How do you make an old fashioned And they're like It's this this this and this And then you kind of Just remember it The elements are there Yeah yeah It's like cooking I think I'd be the worst bartender on earth because like Indian cooking is like you just throw it in.

4:38It's like you see it with your eyes. I have no measurements. I feel like if I did that with a drink, it would just taste good. It wouldn't taste good. Before we get started, let's tap into what we're wearing. Laura, I'm going to start with you. I love this double denim look. Thank you. Please, can you talk us through the whole thing? Yeah, it's just something I wear a lot. It's acne. The whole thing is acne and the boots are Celine. I am a repeat outfit offender. Yeah. Like, I really believe that, you know, we spend so much on these clothes and you should actually live in them, you know? And like, especially when it makes you feel beautiful and confident and you know exactly how it's going to look.

5:14And this is one of the things along with just like a crisp white shirt that I always go back to. Denim on denim is kind of timeless, right? It's just, it always makes its way back. For me, I feel chic. You know, I feel appropriately dressed for most part. Like, anywhere I can go, you can kind of get away with it. and it just feels cool and you know that's fantastic and where is your white vest bomb that you have on underneath I love white and denim this is actually just hanges which I love a hanges tank and I love a hanges sweat pant and you know I'm actually kind of like simple in some way I feel like we make you look chic thank you I love the cowboy boots as well Sapna please talk me through your look I am wearing a Milena burger set which is just so comfy and like but I feel like it does a lot without me having to do very much and then some H &M mules which again are just my like one of my most worn shoes to be honest because they just do a lot for me without enjoying yeah what about you Nanette what you want to say I I've got a little bit extra for you I'm not going to lie but also because it is the first day of London Fashion Week so this red dress is Roxanda Times and other stories I love the volume I love the texture on it.

6:31Which I love her. And then my kind of pom-pom style wedges are from Dries Van Norton. That's so cool. Yeah, a little bit of snake skin. So yeah, red on red for today. So those are all those. Yeah, I just read something today that tomato red was like becoming a new colour. I see a lot on the runway. Yeah, definitely. I love any colour, but red especially.

6:58So Laura, I want to jump into it and find out what you are working on at the moment or what you've been working on recently. The thing that people are really talking about is Project Runway. So it's my first season. Yeah, it's been a lot of controversy on my judging style and my critiques. And, you know, some people really love it. Some people really hate it. Really? If you could compare yourself to like any other TV judge, who would it be? Oh, definitely Simon Kyle. I was literally going to say, are you getting Simon? A thousand percent. A thousand percent because I think for a long time in reality TV, what was missing is like honesty.

7:35Right. I think people were so, you know, worried about someone's feelings and stuff like that. And not that I purposely try to hurt people's feelings, but I try to give them a real insight of what the fashion industry is. You know what I mean? And what they're going to face. Right. It's not, everything is not peaches and cream. Everybody's not going to love everything you do. Yeah. Right. And also style and taste and everything is subjective. And it's personal to different people in different type of ways. So it's just like, if you expect me to love everything that you do, then... It's not real.

8:07It's not real. It's just not real. And I think part of the reason why people like me so much is the authenticity. And also with this much experience in this industry, if I lie to you or I sugarcoat things for you, it just doesn't do you... Yeah, you're doing a disservice. Right, it's a disservice to you. It's like, get what I'm saying. Take it with a grain of salt, right? I'm only one person, you know, with an incredible amount of experience. But you should listen to me. But if you don't, take a piece of it. You know what I mean? Take a piece that really applies to you that you can take and just make yourself better because that's really why I'm there, you know?

8:40And I'm always looking for that jewel. And I'm always looking for, like, my thing is, like, finding my Lee McQueen and letting me be Isabel Blow. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. That's the way it is. I want that type of relationship and to find that type of talent. Yeah. And you know. What do you think the like secret sauce is there? Like what are the people who are doing it really well doing that other people aren't doing? I mean, these designers are like a cast of characters. Like we have people that stir the pot. We have like these twins. Good television. It's such good television. Yeah. And I don't get to see what goes on backstage until the episode.

9:18And I was just like, these designers are really bringing it. They're going through it. My next question, is there anything recently that you've discovered that you can't stop talking about? Sapna, I'm actually going to start with you. It's not a discovery, but I feel like I have to talk about the H &M show last night because I think I went into it not expecting much, but I was like, okay, I kind of know what I'm going to see. But oh my God, it was the most amazing show. It was amazing. The casting was incredible. The people they had walking. with Loma Alex Kinsani yeah Billy Gray like Mars Romeo Alex Kinsani yeah it was amazing and then Lola Young walked and she performed and it just felt like a really good start to the week and like it just gave everyone like an energy and it was it was really good and the styling like the slouchy boots and the skirts and there were like these fluffy shoes that I'm like obsessed with now and yeah that's mine good show I love that is there anything Lore that you've discovered recently that you can't stop talking about?

10:18What I've been discovering, to be quite honest, that I can't stop talking about is me being reunited with Ariana Grande. Because it's been seven years since we worked together. My team and I, we just keep talking about just how much fun we're having. Like I get to play in the world of Glinda and I get like, I literally had a full studio just full of pink. Yeah. And it just made me so happy. It just made me so happy. And to kind of like take this character that now we know really well and to kind of elevate her, you know, along with Ariana and to kind of deliver her to her fans in this fandom in a different way than last time.

11:01Right. Because the movie and I get to see the movie. I think I get a screening of the movie next week. And I'm so excited to just see how Glenda as a character has evolved. but Ariana as an artist as a woman as a talent has evolved so much since the last time we worked together and we've just been it's like a gal to a woman oh my god we've just been having so much fun we've been having like five six hour fittings and just like it's been so so I think me rediscovering that like I like have this new obsession for like working with her and creating this character and this you know this global press tour we're about to embark on it's just like my old best friend coming back around you know And just hanging out together.

11:41You know what I mean? It's like she went to college. We didn't see each other. She made each other. You know what I mean? And now we're back together. Yeah. It's been, it's literally just been so fun. Yeah. Great. And that's what I wanted when I came back out of retirement. I wanted to work with people that just feels good. Yeah. You know? And it really, really feels good. It has not felt like work at all. It's just like clothes that we've been able to secure. And then the archive. Yeah. Like it's just been really Really really really fun And there's been a couple things that she's put on And it's literally made us both emotional I mean like we're in the fit and crying Oh my gosh what a moment And I think that's what's so beautiful about fashion That it can really invoke Like these emotions And it's like she just put on Like she's put on a couple dresses And it's just like Ari You know what I mean And like she's crying And it made me cry And we had a fitting Her mom was there Her mom cried Oh my gosh, there's everyone in the room.

12:40And people can take, I think people take for granted just how powerful fashion and clothes can be. You know what I mean? And it's just, I don't know, I'm just having such a great time. It's like this kind of middle ground of the character and finding, you know, pieces that feel like the character, but then also her and finding that middle ground. But she also is this very whimsical, fantastical person. And she's always been, you know what I mean? And it's just like being able to experience that years and years later. Yeah. And it feels like we like we just talk about old stories and it feels like we just kind of never left.

13:14And it's just been it's been so fulfilling for me as an artist and as a creative. That's amazing. I wanted to ask next when Wicked Part 2, when do you start that press tour? November. Oh, OK. So soon. So, yeah, we've been prepping. We started prepping already. And then we had like a small little break with the VMAs. She wore four outfits. So good. In one night. But that gives you, that gives you an idea of like how much fun we have. And I'm like, we had all these clothes and she was like, let's just try to wear them all. So she changed, you know. I love an outfit change. Oh, darling. Actually, my birthday's coming up and my friend texted me the other day.

13:52She's like, how many outfit changes are we having? It's my 30th. I did four in one night. It was like a carnival theme. So I had like the headdresses, everything. So get ready. outfit changes coming i would love to talk next about your creative process when you're putting obviously a whole press tour like that's huge and i'm guessing it's a world press tour it is yeah yeah and i'm actually embarking on one before that i'm doing jody turner smith for tron she is my biggest girl i am obsessed yeah so we just started working together too so me coming back from retirement, I just wanted to work with people that inspire me and have a presence.

14:37And Jodi has like, it's just this thing when she walks in a room. And also, I just wanted to work with those type of girls. I think I made a lot of mistakes in my career prior to retiring where I was working with just anybody who asked because I was still so flattered that me coming from this little boy from Southside Chicago with no formal training, moving to LA and just working my ass off. And every time someone asked me to work with me, I just felt so flattered, like I couldn't say no. But during my healing process, you know, with the retirement, what I figured out is that no is a complete statement.

15:16And I don't owe you an explanation to why no is no. It's just no. And this time I feel so powerful that I get to say yes to the people who inspire me or I see something in or they you know what I mean so it's just different and Jodie was like one of those people so look out because that person starts next week so really oh yeah and as you know for me it's all about I didn't invent it but I think that I have been a purveyor of method dressing so it's very on theme yeah I want it to be on theme like I want it to be a part of the story I love storytelling and also what I figured out is that it actually really makes people happy yeah when people can actually have a reference yeah Well, every Zendaya look from like Spider-Man, I was like, oh my God, she ate.

16:02And then June as well. Yeah, exactly. I'm like, oh my God, am I a niche? Are you a niche? Yeah. Am I a niche? Yeah. But it makes me happy, though. It just makes me happy. And, you know, in my travels and people, like even like Challenges was just incredible. Yeah, that was insane. To see that, you know, that work brought Tennis Corps to the forefront of fashion. Yeah. That's like the whole movement. Yeah. I went to Wimbledon and there were girls that had replicated the tennis shoes. Like, that's you. It's great. You know, and so I like to play in that world of method wrestling. And you'll see a lot of that with Jodie coming out.

16:39We fit the other day and it was incredible. I am so excited for that one. Where do you like find this inspiration? Like, are you, is it like the typical like art and music? Or are you like, I don't know, do you go into the archives and is that how you find it? It's just like a lot. I dream a lot. And I daydream a lot. And I also have this enormous database of things that I've seen, like, in my entire fashion journey, even before I start. And it's interesting because if I can't locate it, like, if I can't pinpoint, like, oh, that's, you know, that's Dior, you know, John Galliano, 2003, such and such, such and such.

17:17Yeah. I will still see the picture and then I'll just have, then I can find it. Yeah. You know what I mean? Or like. Right back. So Jodi is wearing a piece from the archive of Givenchy that was created by Lee McQueen when he was there. And so he did a whole collection that was based on Tron. Oh, wow. And so we were able to get a full look from the archive. Sarah Burton and her team was very generous to allow us to pull this look from the archive. And it's just so incredible on Jodi. Oh, my gosh. I cannot wait. I literally. So I just kind of remember things. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And if I sit and I'm patient enough, like it'll come to me.

18:02And then I'll start searching. I'll find it. You've got like a catalog in your brain. Yeah, I have a catalog in my brain. A whole encyclopedia. Yeah, yeah. A whole series. So it's kind of insane that I am able to do that. But I have an incredible team. Well, I'm rebuilding an incredible team. But for the most part, I'm able to think about it, kind of find it. And then I'll, like, go to my team just like, I know it's this. Can you help me find this? Yeah. And also don't sleep. How many hours do you get per night? I'll go to bed early. But I'll go early because I live in L.A. Yeah. So then I have to be up when Paris and I have to be up when New York wakes up.

18:41Yeah, yeah. And then my team works up in, you know, with three hours from New York. And so it's just like it's this thing. So I'm always up and down all night. Yeah. Yeah. That is, yeah. I mean, I don't get a lot of sleep, but that's like, that's even less. Speaking of kind of the encyclopedia that you have, is there anyone new that you've spotted, like designer-wise, that you're really excited about? I mean, I told you so many times. When Zendan and I first started, the brands were not Lenta. So what it did was force me to just look at the world. Because social media has made the world so much smaller.

19:17So there's so many clothes. There's so many beautiful clothes around the world. So it forced me to build relationships with emerging designers. So I'm always looking. But what I will say that I was really impressed with is Colin from Kid Super just did a show in New York. He called it The People Show. He had these young designers, gave them money, gave them a platform and just let them show in his spot for Fashion Week. And I thought that was really, really impressive. It's such a great opportunity. Yes, and I think he's just such a genius and such a kind, kind person to do that. He made it not about him and about them.

19:57And it's actually a look for one of those designers in that show that I really want. I feel like, give it a little shout out. I just think people who use their profile and their platform to help people and encourage people and also help people evolve is just incredible. Well, it's one of the hardest industries to get into, especially if you're a designer. So designers who are doing that, like, that's amazing. Yeah. I was really excited by Rachel Scott. I'm like her good luck charm. Oh, really? Yeah, because it's like every time I do a category and present, she always wins. So I'm like... So you don't have to be there every time.

20:36Yeah, if you're not presenting. She won, like, I presented Fashion Trust US and she won that. Yeah. And then I did another prize that was, like, tied to Vogue or something and she won that. And I'm like, girl. Like anytime you compete You gotta make sure I present it Because she always wins But I'm really proud of her And I think the Perenza The Perenza move for her Was really really smart I know I've got a lot of The hairdressers saved In my saved items currently Yeah I just got a couple pieces From spring 26 And it was Yeah Absolutely incredible I love that Next up What is the most exciting project You're working on right now Actually like this collaboration Yeah With Johnny Walker Yeah Which you know it feels so good to me because it feels so authentic.

21:18I had a really, really strong grandfather and also five uncles. And the nostalgia of them, of course it wasn't Black Ruby, but just the nostalgia of these gatherings with me, with all these strong men, right? You know what I mean? I've always been gay. Never been. I've never been not gay. I can remember being gay at the youngest of ages, but to be around these really strong men who not only saw me for who I am, but also loved me and encouraged me to be myself. And in every celebration, there was Johnny Walker. They always just have a knee, and it was always at the beginning and the end of the celebration, right?

22:04Whether that be Christmas or Thanksgiving, but anytime there was a gathering, it was there. Yeah. You know what I mean? And I remember seeing it, you know, and I also remember the smell of it. And like my uncle's picking me up and like that little scent still being on their breath. You know what I mean? So when this came around, it just felt so nostalgic. And then for it to be like this new flavor that's more fruit forward and feels a little bit more sexy and fashion and felt like me. And it's also so it feels like this combination of past and present, like what I saw growing up and then who I became.

22:40And I think if my grandfather was around, like he would be really proud that I'm kind of like drinking his drink, but in my own way. Oh, I love that. That's really special.

22:55I am now going to move on to Hot Topic. Can you pick one favorite kind of look that you've ever done? That must be so hard. Well, it's not hard because I think what the world will say is Zidane and Terry Mugler, the robot. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that was. It's just so funny because like after that happened, I sat with myself and I said, you will never beat this. Like you will never beat this. That's a lot of pressure on yourself. So I had to like recalibrate my brain to understand like. That's okay. Like what next? Right. It's like, it's just, I can't beat it. I can't beat it. And no one else can either.

23:41And you know that. Which is the most important, you know. But yeah, I think that has become the fan favorite. Yeah. But I also, also really, and I was just talking about this in Japan on a panel, Hunter Schaefer at the Vanity Fair after party with the feather. We just like to call it the feather. The Andalisti. Yeah. She is absolutely so. Yeah. So those are two of my favorite kind of looks where it's like the confidence. Yeah. Because I'm all about confidence. Yeah. And the confidence for both of those women to wear those looks. Even Hunter more than anything is because it's like you have to see that every year.

24:21Yeah. So every time the obstacles come around, like, they show that look. So you've got to think that you have to live that look until you're 80. So it could be two things. It's like, oh shit, what was I thinking? Or like, damn, I used to look good. And knowing her, she probably would still look that way, you know, 40 years from now. But it was like those two looks are kind of like stand out for me. When you work with, obviously, someone and then with a designer, how is that process of like, obviously the designer has a bit of like what they want to do. And you obviously have the whole creative vision of what you want to do.

24:58And how's that been for you? It's usually what I want to do. Period. I'm not kidding. That's it. We get that. I mean, because like I've been able to build up such trust with the houses and the brands and they know the way I work and me creating something, but also holding on to some of the DNA of the brand and showing them that I respect that, I think is what allows me to get away with a lot of things that other stylists can't. Because they know, like if you've met me and you've talked to me, if you work with me, you know how passionate I am about and also how respectful I am. So yeah, I usually kind of like get in my way.

25:36And they know that there's going to be, it's going to create a moment. It's going to be a moment. It's going to be a moment. It's going to be a moment. Afterwards, that is all anyone's going to be talking about. So they should, yeah, just let you do your thing, essentially. Thank you. Trust. I've told them. It's fine. We've got this.

25:58I am going to move on to quick fire questions which actually I'm very excited about so underrated accessory the most underrated accessory that should be the accessory that everybody carries with them is confidence it's really important what's the key to confidence? finding it and nurturing it and never letting anybody take it away from you. I actually wrote a book about it. It's called How to Build a Fashion Icon. What is your off-duty uniform? Off-duty uniform? Yeah, me personally. This is going to sound so bougie, but it's true. Like the first class and business class pajamas. Oh, yeah. You keep those.