Is Law Roach Out of Retirement? He Certainly Will Be for the Met Gala

When Law Roach announced he was retiring in March 2023, he broke the (fashion) internet. The Chicago-born stylist is behind many leading celebrities' looks, including none other than Zendaya. His departure—which came after his "cup [was] empty" from "the politics, the lies and false narratives," he wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post—sent a serious ripple through the industry. But he wasn't ever retiring from fashion, and he never retired fully. Ahead of the 2025 Met Gala, that's truer now than ever before.

"I retired for a while because I didn't have balance, and I didn't understand that. I was under this pressure... I think I fell victim to [only feeling like I was working hard if I was exhausted. Once I figured out that and figured out that happiness is a habit, like skincare or going to the gym... I'm understanding balance," the 44-year-old said during an intimate luncheon hosted at New York City's Mark Hotel by Vaseline.

Roach continued styling Zendaya after his announcement (including for her epic Dune press tour, which conceived the archival Mugler robot look) and doing fashion world things, like writing a book (How to Build a Fashion Icon published October 2024). Now, more than two years later, the image architect is preparing for a very busy Monday night.

He is styling seven celebrities for the 2025 Met Gala, all of which are new clients for him, except for Zendaya, he revealed at the luncheon. Roach is working with Burberry as a partner and consultant for this year's Met Gala, advising on expression of this year’s theme while also curating Burberry's Met Gala table. Leading up to the big night, he also linked up with his favorite NYC hotel, The Dominick, to launch a custom cocktail. 

For Roach, what he called retirement was really a much-needed break from an intense schedule and saying "yes" to everything. Now, he's much for selective and intentional in his work, he says, and much of this comes from the confidence he's continued to build over the years.

"I don't have pressure because I don't give a fuck. I talk about that in my book. The ultimate level of confidence is when you just say, 'I don't give a fuck, not what they think about me, the way they think I dress,'" he added.

Ahead of fashion's biggest night, Roach partnered with Vaseline to celebrate some of his favorite ways to use it on a red carpet. (For the Met Gala, he will also wear a custom jewelry piece, containing Vaseline, by Johnny Nelson.) To this day, he keeps the petroleum jelly at hand for fashion and beauty hacks. One of his favorite tips? Using a little on the soles of your feet to help slide into shoes. (Maybe this is one way Zendaya keeps her Christian Louboutin So Kate stilettos on so well?) The image architect also likes using it as a makeup primer, and he recommends mixing Vaseline with essential oils before rubbing the mixture into the skin to smell fragrant all day.

But before the spotlight, Roach's memories of Vaseline harken back to precious moments with his mom.

“My earliest memories… it’s your mama taking that Vaseline. I don't know if this is just a cultural thing, but for us for Black people in this country, Vaseline has become like a source of security from the weather, and also a source of pride," the stylist said, honoring his mom who passed away 15 years ago. "When I see Vaseline now, it reminds me of how she loved me. I still remember that feeling of her putting it on her hands and just going over my face with one hand."