How to Build a Fashion Icon: Notes on Confidence from the World's Only Image Architect

by Law Roach

A GROUNDBREAKING GUIDE TO BECOMING YOUR ULTIMATE, CONFIDENT SELF, BY AWARD-WINNING CELEBRITY STYLIST AND THE WORLD'S ONLY IMAGE ARCHITECT, LAW ROACH

Law Roach is the mastermind behind looks that have broken the Internet time and again—from Zendaya at the Met Gala to Anya Taylor-Joy at the Golden Globes; from Lewis Hamilton’s iconic streetwear to Céline Dion’s style renaissance. Nobody knows better than Law how to turn an outfit into a moment of fashion history. In a little more than a decade, he’s gone from industry outsider to the most celebrated name in style, having been honored two consecutive years with the Hollywood Reporter’s prestigious Stylist of the Year award and receiving the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s inaugural Stylist Award in 2022.

Now, for the first time ever, Law shares the secrets of his approach. With How to Build a Fashion Icon, he takes listeners behind the scenes of his process and journey, revealing his tips, tricks, and most memorable styling moments to show listeners how to live their most iconic and fashionable lives. Part self-help guide, part manifesto, this book will guide listeners step by step through that process, and along the way Law will weave in personal anecdotes—from his childhood in the South Side of Chicago to the first time he styled Zendaya—with practical exercises to help listeners cultivate the most essential feature of iconic confidence.

“He loves and is very passionate about fashion … and finding something that exists already and creating a twist out of it. That’s his He knows when it’s time to do something.”—Céline Dion, Vogue France

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Memoir, Self Help, Audiobook, Biography, Autobiography

Audible Audio

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't do a ton of self-help type books but I love Law Roach's styling and vibe so I was interested. And maybe I read this at the right time in my life where I'm in a transitional period, but I loved this. It was interesting and encouraging. I like how he discusses style and beauty as story-telling and being more yourself, not about looking a certain way. And also the importance of taking care of your health and not overworking! He narrates the audiobook himself and it's great. I received an audio review copy from Libro.FM, all opinions are my own.

[Gabbie Pop]

I am a self proclaimed hater of anything vaguely self-help-y, but I am also a lover of Law Roach and think that anything he touches turns to gold, so off I went to give this a go, and I'm truly glad I did. Law will help even the most confident and self assured person walk with a bit more of a pep in their step.

[Sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

To quote the author, Law Roach "did what needed to be done" in this mash up of personal experiences, celebrity interactions, devotion to fashion, and boosted confidence.

The nature of his public facing persona makes it difficult at times to think of Law Roach as independent from the people he dresses. Fans might know him because they know Zendaya always looks AMAZING and that he is responsible for this, for example. But there's a lot more to Law Roach than just a keen eye for fashion, an appreciation for distinct bodies (I was surprised in a good way by how he treats this subject both for himself and for his clients), and an understanding of his own talents. He comes through in this book with what was, for me, a totally unexpected motif: the importance of building confidence. I realized quickly that an incoming bias I had was that someone in this line of work would have very strong and maybe somewhat catty opinions about how bodies should look, and Law Roach reveals multiple instances in which he defies this notion. If he can appreciate your body and genuinely urge you to do the same, I think we must all listen and behave accordingly.

Yes, it's fun to learn about his relationship to the famous folks he dresses, particularly his lengthy and charming tie to Zendaya, but Law Roach brings forward so much more here. I hope we get coffee table books, style guides, and many other kinds of content, but I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised by the charm of this more straightforward effort, too.

Law Roach is a true individual and an icon in his own right, and it turns out he has some pretty solid life advice, too. Crack this one immediately to learn more about that.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Image for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Soycd · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed to find out that this is a self help book rather than a fashion guide. 

This book is full of generic platitudes and phrases like ‘be yourself’, ‘overcome your fears’ etc. repeated ad nauseam. 

The most interesting part is when Law talks about being a black stylist and having to adjust his accent to fit in with white people, that lasts about one paragraph. It’s disappointing that he doesn't go into much detail about anything. His writing is not very engaging either. 

Overall not a satisfying read. Not recommended. 

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

$75 girl stuck the most with me-- the idea of raising your rate after each gig because you're more experienced now, rather than always working for the same ($75) rate because someone paid you that in the past

[ava · Rating 2 out of 5]

Law Roach, the visionary celebrity stylist behind the memorable looks of Zendaya, Ariana Grande, Anya Taylor Joy and more, steps off the red carpet and onto the page in How to Build a Fashion Icon: Notes on Confidence From the World’s Only Image Architect. Part memoir, part self-help, part styling guide, Roach intends to take readers on a journey of inspiration and confidence in his debut book.

As a longtime fan of Zendaya’s fashion (even her now cringeworthy looks from back in the Shake It Up days), I had big hopes for this book. Not only am I trying to get more into nonfiction, but I also heard Law Roach speak about this book on NPR’s Book of the Day and his voice, energy, and perspective completely captured my attention. He is stylish, tasteful, funny, confident, and insightful. All things I knew from watching him as a guest judge on Rupaul’s Drag Race! The Law Roach voice was something I was really looking forward to hearing in this book, and unfortunately the distinct lack of that is why this book fell short for me.

The best parts of How to Build a Fashion Icon were undeniable the memoir and personal anecdote aspects of the book. Roach’s career beginnings in Chicago, his first encounters with Zendaya and Celine Dion, and detailed descriptions of the fabulous things he wore on runways were exactly what I came to this book hoping for! Unfortunately, that memoir angle was only about a fourth of the book, perhaps even less.

The majority of this book is a vague language of self-help that I have read countless times before. Confidence, manifestations, self-love all bundled up in the same bland package delivered in every other book of this genre. Roach’s dynamic and vibrant voice is noticeably lost in these lengthy self-help mediations, which is a true shame. His story and perspective are endlessly interesting to me and this book would have been twenty times more engaging if the entire thing was his memoir. You would go from reading an exciting anecdote of him searching for the perfect red leather coat to a bullet point list about how to build a safe space for yourself. Not only were those transitions jarring, they also left me feeling unsatisfied as a reader. The nature of a memoir about an inspirational person is that just by telling their story, it’s going to be inspirational! There’s no need to throw in so many uninspired step-by-step generalities that this book is so bogged down with.

Lastly, and perhaps most egregiously, there was not much discussion of fashion in this book! There’s a few moments where Roach discusses a look (I specifically enjoyed him describing the choice to dress Hunter Schafer in the feather dress for the Oscars) that are just electric. You can feel Roach’s enthusiasm and love for the industry coming through the page. But those moments are few and far between.

In general, I wanted more fashion and more Law Roach out of this. I do still greatly admire him and his talent, but will probably recommend sticking to watching him judge on this season of Rupaul’s Drag Race instead of reading this book.

You can read more of my reviews on my blog The Taurus Reads, https://avaeshaffer.wixsite.com/theta...

[chantel nouseforaname · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There are many chapters to every book. Reinvention is the compass guiding us through uncharted territories, reminding us that we are not bound by the chapters already written. To redefine our stories, we must find the strength to discard what no longer serves us and embrace the unfamiliar with open arms. The power of reinvention lies not only in the act itself but in the liberation to become the fullest, most authentic version of ourselves.

…Embracing change and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone not only keeps things interesting but also allows you to discover aspects of yourself and the world around you that you might have otherwise overlooked. The power of reinvention is that it allows us to shed the skin of the past and emerge as the architects of our own evolution.” - Law Roach, How to Build a Fashion Icon

FIVE VERY BIG STARS. Listen, this story is soooo much deeper than it may appear. Law, in his beautiful yellow suit on the cover tells the story of a young Black man fighting for his dreams, overcoming, sharing with us, how he overcame, and how we can improve our own vision and our own lives.

There’s not a lot of books like this by a lot of people like Law Roach. There’s only one Law. He can’t be duplicated, and with this book he reminds you that you can’t be duplicated either, and he ended the book with a sermon about believing in your dreams first. Like, don’t wait on anyone to believe in you, they won’t if you don’t believe in you.. but don’t just believe, act. Don’t stay silent about what you’re doing, share. Don’t be afraid, connect. Like, this book needs to be given to these teens stuck on instagram, and living with what I like to call Instagram/TikTok brain rot. There are clear instructions here for folks who are struggling, and it’s very very inspirational.

One of the things I’ve always loved about Law’s work, which is featured prominently in this short book, is how he has influenced so many folks, but especially Black women, to embrace the beauty and uniqueness of Black culture, Black hair, and style. I love how he inspired Meg to confidently rock her natural hair, and he really added to her glow up, bringing her true self into high fashion looks. Same with Mary J. Blige and her Met Gala look. He also inspires to elevate and show we are not a monolith. I’ve also loved his work with Hunter and Celine Dion: it’s out of the box, unique, and eye catching.

This was a phenomenal read about following your passions and encouraging yourself to continue, to grow, to evolve, to think differently, to expand, to take up space and at the end of the day, to never forget who you are! ALSO, to take care of yourself because when you work too hard and drop down dead you know what happens!? They step over your dead body babe. It sucks! So put yourself first, take care and love yourself, first. I love this advice for us all!

[Berty Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fashion enthusiast, then this book is for you. I loved it from beginning to end. Read it in one day! Law Roach is one of my favorite stylist, he's an icon!

[Mon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Law, I love fashion & beautiful things. Many will read this and roll their eyes at the cliches, but I loved it and leaned in. He is so grounded and real, especially talking about burnout and putting your health first. I love the notion that there’s no such thing as good style/ trendy, only personal style. Which I think in our era of overconsumption people need a reminder. I wish the book had more pictures of the looks he talks about, that’s my only feedback!

[H.D.B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Law is an icon, so are all the people he styles, this was cute, some tips on confidence, but I already have confidence and I already know I’m iconic. Hope this helps other closeted icons.

[max smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I looooooove law roach and I think he is so incredibly talented at what he does, I loved how he let us in to his backstory and his experiences with some of the celebrities he’s worked with (zendaya, Celine, Mary j blige, Ariana grande, Meg the stallion etc) I loved the tea!!! I did also expect it more to be about how to be a fashion icon (tools and tips of how he puts his styles together), rather than a self help book :////

I can’t help but think that something was missing though, I did kinda get lost at some points, but I did enjoy this quick read and it was a great palate cleanser!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I best liked the parts sharing his personal stories and experiences.
Thank you to the publisher via Libro.fm for my copy!

[Holly Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book thinking it would be about clothes and celebrities. More than anything it’s about finding the confidence to be the best version of yourself. It’s exquisitely written and I just loved it!

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

This book was actually really good. I feel like Law hit on some really great points and this book didn't go the typical self-help book style. This book is worth reading at least once if you are interested and becoming an enhanced version of yourself but also interested in tapping into the deeper parts of you. This book is almost like a permission slip for those who might need one to think and be a little outside of your box and create the life that you want.

[Kimber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. It was interesting to learn about his origin story and determination, but many of his motivational tips and notes were quite generic

[NewNobodyAccount · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 13%

This is a poorly written mental self-help book. I understand that much of fashion is identity, and identity is rooted in psychology, but this book is not written by someone with any real expertise in psychology outside of observations from his own life and a handful of his very famous clients. There are no supplemental interviews with experts on identity psychology, no empirical data, and it all seems like the deep musings of a teenager. At one point, I skipped several chapters to see if the book improved and landed smack in a spot where he wrote that a great way to gain confidence is by going "live" on social media. Like I said, the deep musings of a teenager. /r/im14andthisisdeep

I'm excited for Law's career and what's to come for him. I just don't think he adequately shared anything that is a revelation for anyone over the age of 20. He did not provide any secret sauce. He did not even revert to simpler style books and try to reinvent the same boring bastardized mechanics of color analysis and body types. He brought no insight about the future of fashion: materials, shapes (which seems like an excruciating miss for someone who praises architecture and calls himself an "image architect"), gender (again, a hard miss for someone in LGBTQIA+), or accessories etc. etc. etc. If we wanted to keep it rooted in psychology: even how the changing psychology of the workforce is changing style.

Anyone with money who wants to learn about style and fashion should start with the basics, like How to Read a Dress, and go from there. If you want to learn about confidence, get a therapist or a book by a PhD. Save your money and do not buy this book about mental health from a man who starts a book by complaining about how burned out he is--this book definitely reads like someone who is sick of fashion and wants to talk about something else. LOL. Staaaahp. Just take a sabbatical like the rest of us; it didn't need to be this dramatic.

[Donttouchmypoodle✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

So I feel a little duped. I grabbed this book because I am a huge fan of Law Roach and the designs he has curated. I was hoping this book would delve into his early life of coming up as a stylist in Hollywood. I was so eager to learn his story and his thought process behind some of his most memorable looks. Zendaya in Vivienne Westwood at the 2015 Oscars and Hunter Schafer in Ann Demeulemeester (the feather!) live rent free in my head! Both looks were such a moment! But no. Sadly, this is not what was delivered in this book. This was instead a self-help book about confidence.

I don't mind self-help books and aim to read a few each year. But my main gripe with this book was how redundant the content was. There were so many sections where the same thing was said just in a different way. An example of this is in Chapter 7, when Roach tells us that, "Reflection is the compass that keeps you on course..." Then, later in Chapter 8, he says, "Reinvention is the compass guiding us...". Most of the advice offered up on confidence was generic and not anything I haven't heard before. I did like the story about "the $75 girl", but that will be the only thing that stays with me after this book.

With that being said, there was some insight into some of the looks he has created during his career, but it was very surface level, and I found myself wanting more. I appreciated the pictures of his work in the middle of the book and switched to reading on my phone so I could experience them in color vs. the black and white from my Kindle. If Luxury Law writes a memoir in the future, I will definitely read it. But I am not in a hurry to read any more self-help books by him.

[Kiratiana Freelon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely love Law Roach and I’ve been following his career for the last four years. I’ve truly enjoyed ALL of his televised interviews. This book, however, was a disappointment. I feel like the writer just watched all the interviews that Law Roach has done in career and wrote a book in two weeks (not even a month).

This book lacks details and stories. Many of the vignettes that are included Law has talked about in previous televised interviews. This book doesn’t feel like the writer really sat down with Law to draw out stories about his life. It just feels like quick brushes of his life.

Additionally, I don’t feel like the fashion and career advice is of high quality. It’s very general stuff. It would be interesting for Law to have dissected several iconic looks (which he has done in his televised interviews).

This book wasn’t worth the paper and that’s why it’s $3 on Amazon right now.

[Tonja Candelaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book knowing nothing about it beyond the cover and having no expectations. I came away with a moderate understanding of the author and his CV. The book is also full of quotable material and snippets on self-love, leaning in to bring you, and fashion being about personal confidence.

I do think my personal experiences with backhanded compliments about my personal fashion style and the superiority I’ve had directed my way by some when proclaiming that they don’t care about fashion (not seeing the difference between personal fashion and trending) impacted how I took this book in.

I want everyone to read it if only to understand that fashion is about feeling good in your own skin, personal confidence, and leaning in to yourself - not approval of others. I wish there wasn’t a stigma around being a “fashionista” or wearing things that stand out - I don’t do it for others and it doesn’t make me self-absorbed or reliant on attention from others. Clearly this hit a sore spot for me. But in a good way!

[lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love law roach. i went into this thinking it was a straight up memoir — and while it had little flashes of that — it was mostly a guide on how he became a fashion icon & stylist, what it took to get him there, his philosophy on styling, & how anyone can achieve that.

it’s short and sweet. i love fashion and have really enjoyed my own style journey the last few years and he’s so right: it really is about confidence and gravitating towards what you truly want (to wear). it’s beyond that too — be a fashion icon or even just manifest your own life.

i still need to work on my style and curate some pieces but this was definitely a well timed book with where i’m at & i needed to hear those bits on manifesting because you are what you think.

[Alexis Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author. I loved the vulnerability and raw honesty. Enjoyed learning more about Law’s story, the personal examples used to illustrate key points. Favs: zendaya in the yellow coat at fashion week, Celine’s words during the photo shoot about speaking up for yourself, law holding on to that magazine and becoming #1 on the list, the confidence and determination to retire

I love books like this and law roach created a special one that left me feeling empowered and confident

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally don’t do a lot of self-help books and the like but I was interested when I found out that Law also narrated it. I enjoy his work and really admire the close relationships he has with his clients, obviously the most well known one being with Zendaya. This was more than just getting to know Law’s work ethic. His life story and guidelines were inspiring. And it was hard not to feel motivated after hearing his words.

[Jessica Ivetich · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Becoming a fashion icon is not about the clothes you wear, but rather the way you carry yourself through the world.”

Law Roach is the definition of confidence. And you won’t find a single style guideline in this book aside from building and maintaining confidence in yourself. A quick read that I’ll pick up time and time again when I need a little confidence boost.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wish this was either a memoir or a coffee table book, and less self help. I would’ve loved to hear about his journey, chronologically, to get him where he is today. On the other hand, a coffee table book of all the looks he referenced in the book would be so cool, including details of the process.

[Michelle Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book of 2025 / a perfect read to kick off a new year!

He has such confidence in himself and motivates you to have the same while you are pursuing dreams in your life and of course in what you are choosing to wear along the way. He encourages a “renaissance era” ; evolving, continually refining to become the best you.

The universe will protect and provide - his favorite mantra.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like him and i think quite a few of his stories are fun. I think also the book is a lot about positive thinking and manifesting and working hard, which are good things and nice advice but i don't know how different this book is to a self help book. I mean it's more fun, or at least for me it is, because it has links to fashion, but overall i wouldn't say it's groundbreaking. Still it left me with positive vibes and that's great.

[LeeTravelGoddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so so much & now I need a mantra!!

[Alyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Law Roach, and this book was an incredible look into his life and career and is honestly raw and sentimental and encouraging. It’s beautiful, it’s confident. The universe protects and provides. And she looks great while she does it!

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

The “$75 girl” was a standout from this collection of tales on fashion & life. Definitely a fan of Luxury Law ✨

[Sydnie Beason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an incredible book