Revolt World tapped fashion industry giants Law Roach and Kollin Carter to lead a riveting conversation about the future of fashion. On the final day of the three-day summit, the two style visionaries indulged in an intimate conversation moderated by Domo Wells, during which they shared their journeys, inspirations, and much more.
Law Roach & Kollin Carter discuss the future of fashion at Revolt World
Wells kicked off the conversation by referencing the evolution of both stylists and how their neighborhoods and surroundings inspired their careers. Born in Chicago, Law Roach attributed the polar opposite personalities of the inner city to his ability to create various looks that span the spectrum of fashion.
“I was raised in Chicago, so you had two cultures, right? You had church culture, and then you also had street culture. That’s what I grew up seeing. For us, our high class and who we wanted to be like and emulate were the drug dealers and the pimps. There’s a term that comes from that lifestyle called peacocking, and it is about putting on your best so that you can draw attention to yourself no matter what your economic status is or how much money you have; you want to put on your best all the time. And so I think that carried through into my work. And so my work became, I think, in my career, very polarizing,” Roach explained.
Carter on the other hand had limited access to the fashion world. “I was born in California and moved to Mississippi when I was 13. So there wasn’t a lot of fashion there at all. It created this drive in me to go out and see the world and explore other places. It put me in a position to study fashion because I didn’t have access to it there,” he said.
“I would go into my friend’s closet and style out of her closet because there were no showrooms and nothing accessible to us in Jackson. I feel like, in a way, it did shape and motivate me to get the f*ck out of there and go see the world and see other places,” he continued.
For Law Roach and Kollin Carter, Black women are the prototype
Both stylists prove that dressing a woman goes far beyond picking an outfit and instructing her to wear it. There’s a vision that comes to life when Carter and Roach work with their clientele. The transformation occurs in a way that emulates a fairy god stylist who waves his wand, causing garments to hug and drape the curves of a woman perfectly. That kind of magic can only come from within. Roach credits a few industry icons when asked who inspires the masterful looks created on and off the red carpet, while Carter’s inspiration started at home.
“I was definitely inspired by Lil Kim. Every time I see her, I clam up like a little boy. Because, again, being from the hood, that was the glamour. Her and Foxy introduced us to Dior,” Roach said. “Then it became people like Grace Jones, who is on everyone’s mood board when you start thinking about fashion risk-takers. And Naomi, of course. For me, it’s always been about Black women.”
Carter agreed that Lil Kim is an inspiration, but he also credits another woman who had a sharp eye for fashion. “On a personal level, I would say my sister (inspired me). I grew up watching her get ready every day. We went to the same high school for a year or two, and I just remember admiring her style,” Carter said. “In my freshman year in high school, she had on a Baby Phat jumpsuit and Air Force One heels, and I just remember thinking she’s the baddest woman ever.”
Although the revered image architects have been in the game for a while, they’re just getting started. Roach’s book, “How to Build A Fashion Icon: Notes on Confidence” is available for pre-order, and Carter continues to amass a stellar clientele list the includes Kelly Rowland, Victoria Monet, and Kysre Gondrezick. Together, Carter and Roach are paving the future of fashion.
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