The fashion industry is full of mercurial, often mysterious characters, but over the past decade, Law Roach has change into one of the most fun to watch. After rising to fame as Celine Dion’s favorite stylist, Ariana Grande and Zendaya’s “fashion soulmate,” the self-proclaimed (and trademarked) “image architect” stunned style watchers when, just months after being honored as the first-ever Stylist of the Year awarded by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in November 2022. Roach announced his retirement in March 2023.

“Politics, lies and false narratives have finally caught up with me!” he wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post after a flurry of rumors made him a diva in an industry notoriously full of them. “You win… I’m out.”

Just over a 12 months later, Roach admits in a brand new profile that he’s “the most unretired retiree.” New York Times. Since her announcement, she has continued to curate looks for her top clients, including trendsetting and headline-making looks during Zendaya’s subsequent “Dune” and “Challengers” press tours. Additionally, the Chicago native, who now calls Los Angeles home, joined E!’s panel of judges. latest upcycling fashion competition of the network”, “Oh my God, Fashun” and will publish his first book “How to construct a fashion icon: notes on the trust of the world’s only image architect,” in September.

Arguably, if anyone knows how to create a modern-day icon, it’s Roach, who engineered Zendaya’s rise from a 13-year-old Disney teenager to her current reign as a seemingly unstoppable Hollywood star. It’s a fact he says has led to his withdrawal from the often frivolous celebrity styling policy.

“I felt like every time I walked into a room I still had to prove myself. “I’ve changed the trajectory of people’s careers, I’ve changed their visibility, but I still have to argue what I think is the best look,” he told The Times. “And if the gatekeepers don’t like the relationship, it automatically becomes too expensive or too problematic.”

“I think at the time I wrote that post I just wanted to give it a rest,” he later noted.

Roach used this downtime properly, as he not only recalibrated his profession, but began to take into consideration how he could teach others to do the same. He retreated to a 19-acre Georgia plantation he bought during the pandemic as part of reclamation of his heritage and “a safe place for (his) family to go.” In addition to writing his first book, Roach finally found time to mourn the death of his three-year-old nephew Lamar, who died in 2021 after falling from a window.

“So I went through this grieving process for him and my career,” he said. “I experienced guilt, thinking that people who admired me would see me as a person who gave up, and I felt sad.”

Based on his own experiences, Roach began to consider what it would take to break down some of the barriers to entry into the fashion industry, while also leveraging his already enormous influence by “planning a certification course for aspiring stylists that would essentially, mass-market and formalize their approach.” ” – reports the Los Angeles Times.

“I always asked myself, ‘Why don’t we see more people who look like me doing this job?’” he said. “We just do not have the same opportunities. That’s a technique I’m going to fight it.

“You can take any masterclass you want, but it doesn’t necessarily give you a chance to break into the industry. My idea is that you take a certification course based on my styling style,” Roach continued. “There will also be electives taught by people in the industry who support the program, such as financial literacy, because as an independent contractor I learned from my mistakes.”

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Now running his own empire, Roach has his sights set on even greater things. “We can write books and textbooks; we can take what we make with the course and package it and sell it to other people. We could buy the brand. I really want to buy the brand. … I think it’s a natural progression from a good stylist to a good designer or hopefully a great designer,” he said, noting that the late designer Emanuel Ungaro”A namesake tag could be a dream purchase. “I want my headline to read: ‘Law Roach, Former Stylist, Now Heads a Billion-Dollar Company,’” he added.

First off, Roach has one other big headline as Zendaya is ready to change into co-chair This 12 months’s Met Gala will happen on Monday, May 6. The duo has closed the steps of The Met several times in the past – so what is going to the fashion icon wear to embody this 12 months’s official dress code of “The Garden of Time”?

“I haven’t seen Zendaya’s dress!” Roach said, noting that currently, the constant press tour and double May Vogue covers have been a bit of a distraction for him. Ignoring the designer, he added: “The dress is not even made. They won’t slot in until Saturday.

For now, it’s protected to say that Zendaya might be wearing a dress, and fashion lovers might be eagerly awaiting this legendary power couple on the first Monday of May.

Food critic Keith Lee and his crew made their first major dining mistake on the “FamiLee Food Tour,” which supplies several states a probability at redemption.

The trek saw the previous MMA fighter revisit California, Las Vegas and Detroit after last 12 months’s successful trip to sample local restaurants in major cities across the country.

Recently, while in Southfield, Michigan, Lee literally choked on a bit of food, which became a viral clip on social media. In his critique, Lee said he received a DM asking to try Lillie Belle Cuisine.

He obliged and spent $90.63. He noted that the wait time of an hour and a half was “long” considering his family only purchased three plates, which consisted of lamb chops, turkey cutlets, fried turkey cutlets, chicken wings, macaroni and cheese, salad potato soup, vegetables and cornbread.

Even before he reached the purpose where the Internet went viral, he warned: “I have always advocated for honesty and transparency, but at some point I was not able to be as constructive as I would like, but my intentions were sincere and as I always say, I do not I mean nothing bad. This is one of the most emotional reviews I have ever written.”

@keith_lee125 #partnerdoors Lillie Bells taste test 💕would you are attempting it?💕 #foodcritic @DoorDash ♬ original sound – Keith Lee

Lee began to taste several forms of meat before dipping into the perimeters, especially the vegetables. Almost immediately, a glance of disgust appeared on his face and inside seconds, he opened the automotive door to spit out the food.

“Honestly, it’s one of the worst things I’ve experienced in a long time. It is extremely spicy, strong, and has a taste that does not resemble greenery. I have no idea what it is to be honest. I mean no harm, but if you ask me, it’s zero out of ten. Honestly, I don’t feel like trying anything else,” the TikTok star said.

His supporters were surprised by his reaction. “I’ve never seen Keith feel disgusted. Those greens must have been terrible,” some wrote in the comments. Beneath the post, a second user wrote, “Oh I’ve never seen him react the way he reacted to the greens bro who finished the review earlier gahlee.”

Other person he tweeted“They might as well close up shop now because this place is finished.” Although the third person is hilarious he wrote“Honey, when they say you stuck your foot in the vegetables, they don’t mean a real foot.”

@lilliebellscuisine Everything’s fine @Keith Lee, thanks for stopping by! Our vegetables are one of our best-selling sites 😉. #foodtiktok #foodreview #badopinions #collargreens #collardgreenschallenge #foodporn #gourmet ♬ Funny Song – Funny Song Studio & Sounds Reel

The venue looked as if it would take the poor review in stride, captioning the post: “I’m fine Keith Lee, thanks for stopping by! Our vegetables are one of our best-selling sides.” In the video, the cook may be seen placing two large sticks of vegetables on the stove, proving that Lee’s disapproval doesn’t stop them from fulfilling the orders.

In their comments, people asked in regards to the kind of meat used, and some even suggested that perhaps the leafy offering had been spoiled. Lille Belle responded to at least one one that asked if perhaps Lee just got a faulty batch.

“It’s very unlikely. They were cooked that day and we tasted them before they were shipped. Everyone’s palate is different,” they wrote.

@keith_lee125 Talking about the Family Redemption food tour 💕 would you try it? 💕 #foodcritic ♬ original sound – Keith Lee

Employees also reported that they developed “tough skin” after being in business for a while.

This and other comments were not well received by some who saw their responses as evidence of the “pressure” the establishment was putting on customers. They replied, “I think you’re taking it the wrong way, which is fine. It’s okay to engage in conversation. It’s social media, lol. Some of the comments are thought-provoking.”

Lee has much more stops ahead, including Atlanta, which notoriously left the country when his review included death threats to his family. He has already warned the southern city that his family could have armed security, but he’ll are available peace.

He had previously been warned by Nigel Douglas, owner of The Real Milk and Honey, who told a room stuffed with those who he would serve stars like Jay-Z and Beyoncé before serving regular, on a regular basis customers, i.e. on a regular basis customers.

It all began with a post on Twitter. It was 2020, the peak of the pandemic, and LaDarrion Williams was reflecting on the dearth of diversity within the fantasy genre. He suggested, “What if Harry Potter went to an HBCU in the South?”

“Growing up, I watched Twilight, The Hunger Games, Divergent and Percy Jackson, which is certainly one of my favorite books. I didn’t see myself in those stories and I didn’t feel seen by them,” Williams said. He is a self-taught playwright, director and screenwriter.

The post went viral and sparked a dialogue online, leading Williams a protracted solution to bringing his idea to life. However, he’s the primary to confess that this process was not a fairy tale.

Williams’ “Blood at the Root,” the primary of three books, hits stores Tuesday. Jalyn Hall (“Till,” “All American”) recorded the audio version. The book tells the story of Malik, a 17-year-old with magical powers who’s accepted into Caiman University, an HBCU with a “Blackgical culture” and magic program.

Williams spoke to the Associated Press about how his tweet became a novel and the inspiration for “Blood at the Root.”

Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

___

AP: You posted this… and got plenty of response. And then what happened?

WILLIAMS: I wrote it as a TV pilot. I didn’t plan for it to be a novel. I shared (the method) online and folks sent me money using CashApp and Venmo from the US, Canada and even New Zealand. They said, “Go make it a short film.” It was October 2020. Everything was closed. You couldn’t buy hand sanitizer. I asked some friends and we shot this magical short film within the Los Angeles area. We slipped onto the UCLA campus. Sorry, UCLA, but we desired to shoot on an actual college campus. That’s when I spotted this story was special.

I assumed I had the whole lot. I assumed I had a viral tweet short movieI had a script, I had an idea. I assumed Hollywood would make me a multi-million dollar offer. I quickly became humbled by this. No calls got here. I had difficulty getting meetings with various production firms, showrunners and studios. Nobody wanted to fulfill me. I used to be really confused and fell right into a deep depression.

AP: Is that when you made the decision to change gears and write a book?

WILLIAMS: I felt very sad. There were days I could not even get away from bed. I felt like I had let down my friends who were risking their health. I felt like I let down the individuals who supported her on social media. It was a bit embarrassing. A friend of mine said someday, “Why don’t you turn it into a book?” Considering the whole lot that was happening on the earth and in America, corresponding to civil unrest, I didn’t think the publishing house would want it.

They didn’t do it at first. I used to be getting rejections left and right saying, “We can’t connect to this. It is not suitable for sale.” One of my biggest rejections happened on my birthday, December 3, 2022. In late January 2023, I used to be driving for Uber and I got a call from my agent who said we had a three-book deal.

AP: Were you screaming? Cry?

WILLIAMS: No. I turned off the Uber app and drove home in silence. I went to Ralphs, sat within the parking zone and said, “I sold a book. I didn’t just sell one book, I sold three.” Then I began screaming and calling everyone.

AP: Let’s talk in regards to the essential character Malik.

WILLIAMS: I desired to create a black boy from Helena, Alabama, where I’m from, who has cool magical powers. It’s a coming-of-age story a couple of 17-year-old boy who attends this really cool school. Is funny. Makes friends. Friendship, especially in adolescence, may be very necessary. They form of set you up for all times. Malik also connects together with his family and background. He had childhood trauma and difficulties and he’ll make mistakes, but they are going to not cost him his life. I would like people to know him. The way he talks, the way in which he thinks. I wanted him to be sensitive and delicate. He passes on the love he did not have as a toddler to his adoptive brother. I desired to create all of it through the lens of magic.

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AP: You also laid out in great detail what the quilt should appear to be.

WILLIAMS: The only time I’ve ever seen myself on book covers was “The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963” and “Bud Not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curtis. This was non-negotiable with my publishers. I assumed, “I would like a black boy on the quilt. I do not care how we do it. That’s what I would like.” I used to be slightly brave, however it’s okay. I also wanted him in a hoodie on the quilt, because, you already know, black boys in hoodies often get punished. I got what I wanted.

AP: Do you continue to see this story as a TV series?

WILLIAMS: There are ongoing conversations about that. I remember watching Twilight as a 6-foot-3 black kid in Alabama. It was a extremely cool time, having the ability to go to the flicks, be on this fandom, and meet people you’ll never otherwise meet. I would like to recreate that moment when “Black Panther” got here out and everybody was buzzing about it. I would like to do it for TV. This is what I would like for black kids.