Sasha Gonzalez 
One of the biggest wins for Chicago in the new year is Law Roach being awarded the Stylist of the Year. Having created iconic fashion statements, Roach’s work is infamous and his clientele list is stellar. He’s often sought after due to his close working relationship with Zendaya and big name celebrities like Kerry Washington, Hunter Schafer, Tiffany Haddish, Mary J. Blige, and Venus Williams, among others. He’s also a judge on the hit show “Legendary,” and was the first Black man to receive the Stylist of the Year award the previous year. But before fame, Law Roach was just another Chicago native.
Roach, AKA the Image Architect, grew up on the south side of Chicago, jumping from home to home, but relatively staying around 79th Street and Essex in South Shore. He’s the oldest of five siblings and the child of a single mother. He spent most of his life thrifting with his grandmother, and overtime he developed a love for vintage pieces and clothing items, and eventually began to collect them. At 14, he moved out of his unstable household and into his friend’s house, which encouraged him to finish high school.
Roach claims that there was always more out there for him, and one day luck struck down and granted him the opportunity of a lifetime. He opened a vintage boutique in the Pilsen area of Chicago called Deliciously Vintage. He received lots of attention from Kanye West when he stopped by the shop in 2009 attracting paparazzi to the small boutique. From there, Roach’s reputation only grew. Eventually his name would become synonymous with Hollywood and style.
Roach’s classic tale of rags to riches is proof that dreams do come true if you just believe in yourself and your abilities. To learn more about Roach, visit his website.
By Sasha Gonzalez, Junior, Chi Arts
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