Law Roach swore he was done. Finished. Retired. Out of the styling game and into a well-deserved rest. When the image architect announced his departure from the industry last year, fashion held its breath and maybe even wiped away a dramatic tear. But here he is back—like, so back—in all his glory, and not just dipping a toe in the pool. No, darling. He cannonballed straight into the deep end. And the splash? It’s Burberry at the Met Gala, where Roach isn’t just styling—he’s shaping the moment.
The dress code this year is Tailored for You, and the exhibit Superfine: Tailoring Black Style dives deep into the cultural power and precision of Black fashion—its lineage, legacy, and unshakable influence. Who better to help interpret that story than Roach? “To be a part of this particular Met—this theme, this year—it’s emotional,” he says. “Because it’s not just fashion. It’s about how we, as Black people, have used style to tell the world who we are, to survive, to shine.”
Roach has teamed up with Burberry as curator and consultant, creating a table that’s intentional and rooted in Black cultural excellence. Seated alongside creative director Daniel Lee are Cardi B, Angela Bassett, Andre 3000, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jalen Hurts, Bry Burrows, Liu Wen, Roberto Bolle, and Roach himself. “This wasn’t a styling job,” Roach says. “It was cultural work. Daniel didn’t just want someone to make things pretty—he wanted someone who understood the nuances of being Black in America. And he was respectful of that from the start.”
But Roach didn’t actually style anyone at the Burberry table (though his other clients—outside the Burberry cohort—were dressed by him). That’s part of what made the whole endeavor so special. Instead, he collaborated—with the stylists of each guest, with Lee, with the larger Burberry team. “The other stylists were so generous,” Roach shares. “They let me sit in on their clients’ fittings, which is a really private moment. That doesn’t happen unless there’s real trust. … Everybody understood how important this Met theme is. We all knew this night was going to be special.”
Each guest was chosen with deep intention. Bassett is attending her first-ever Met Gala, which still has Law in disbelief. “We were shocked,” he says. “To give her that experience, and for her and [Lee] to share it together—it’s kind of incredible.” Jodie Turner-Smith brings a sense of generational echo to the table—a next-wave elegance that pairs with Bassett’s enduring grace. Andre 3000, making his Met return after 20 years, remains the style godfather of all things dandy and divine. “When you talk about a modern-day dandy—it’s him. We were lucky to get him,” Roach affirms.
Cardi brings drama. Hurts, the NFL quarterback with fashion instincts, brings surprising elegance—and arrives with his fiancée Burrows. “Daniel saw how expressive he was,” Roach says. “It wasn’t about who’s trending. It was about people Daniel respects. People he’s a fan of. People who mean something.” Everyone gets on so well, that Roach considers the table a soundtrack: “It’s a Family Affair” by Sly and the Family Stone. “We really created a Burberry gang,” Roach says. “There’s a story being told. And you’ll see it when they walk the carpet.”
The looks themselves are rooted in Lee’s Fall 2025 Burberry collection—tailoring-forward, upholstery-inspired, deeply textural, and lush. “The fabrics really lead,” Roach says. “There’s color, structure, softness. It’s storytelling through textile.”
Roach was in every meeting, every fitting. “It wasn’t a press grab,” he says. “I was genuinely involved from start to finish.” And while he’s officially un-retired, he’s also re-entered the industry on his own terms. “I have new business partners, I’m working with new clients, and I’m doing this in a way that won’t burn me out,” he says. “It’s all come back to me—muscle memory. And I’m flexing.”