Dear Gossips,
Zendaya last night was in LA at the launch of The Zendaya Edit, a collection she curated for boohoo. When E! News asked who inspired her to do the collaboration, she told them that it was her stylist, Law Roach:
"Law [Roach] for sure, he's basically taught me everything I know about fashion and given me the confidence to be fearless in whatever I wear."
As I wrote yesterday, Law is ranked #12 on The Hollywood Reporter’s 2018 Power Stylists List and he’s featured in THR’s first ever Stylist Roundtable. If you are a student of celebrity and gossip, this is an essential read. And it’s a great follow-up to the last episode of our Show Your Work podcast when Duana and I discuss the business of celebrity style and the work that goes into creating a style moment – work that cannot and should not be dismissed, even though some stars simply don’t have the language and maybe not even the appreciation to articulate it. Oh, I’m sorry, am I being petty Blake Lively?
This is the work of the stylists, five stylists showing their work, and we will be discussing this on the next episode of Show Your Work. For now though, consider what Law says during the roundtable about how his career and Zendaya’s career were built around her style. Also consider what veteran stylist Jeanne Yang, who worked with Kumail Nanjiani well before The Big Sick’s year-long Oscar campaign, says about style as part of career strategy in Hollywood and how that strategy is in development at all stages of a career:
“One thing I want to convey to young actors is to develop a trust in us, let us go in for a long game, don't have us just for a few red carpet events.”
The long game. See? If they’re talking about style in terms of “the long game”, then you know that this isn’t just about “what am I wearing”, it’s entirely about “how will what I’m wearing express where I am right now and help me get to where I want to be?” I know you’re sick of me bitching about this but I keep bitching about this because, up to this point, and especially over the last 6 months, the conversations around celebrity style have not accurately reflected the value that style has added to the industry and how style has shaped careers. As Law says, it certainly shaped Zendaya’s career. And she’s now in a position to expand her influence beyond it. Discounting the work, the style work, that made that happen is a mistake.
Also, her outfit last night, basically a glorified track suit turned into a jumpsuit, as usual, is the sh-t.
Yours in gossip,
Lainey
