She developed relationships with many other major names and became capable of making emerging designers suddenly visible to millions of people.
The CFDA specifically praised her for supporting newer talent as well as established houses.
She has worn memorable designs by Versace, Vera Wang, Rick Owens, Tom Ford, Loewe, Maison Margiela and many others.
And in 2023 she entered an especially significant partnership when she became a house ambassador for Louis Vuitton.
Vogue reported that Zendaya fronted her first Louis Vuitton campaign that year, while the luxury house continues to identify her officially as a house ambassador.
Her Challengers press tour later included multiple Louis Vuitton appearances alongside designs from Loewe and other brands.
By that stage, the question was no longer whether luxury fashion would accept Zendaya.
The question was which luxury houses Zendaya and Roach would choose.
That is an extraordinary shift in power.
Law Roach Says He Has Changed — Sort Of
That brings the story to the 2026 Ziwe interview.
Roach is now older, more established and far more powerful within fashion than he was when he began dressing a teenage Disney actor.
He has also spoken publicly about personal growth.
When Ziwe brought up his unofficial red-carpet refusal involving Saint Laurent, Dior, Valentino, Chanel and Gucci, Roach said he had moved beyond some of the pettiness that had defined his earlier attitude.
He explained that he had let go of some grudges.
The irony was obvious: while discussing brands he had once refused to embrace, he was sitting there wearing Saint Laurent himself.
It appeared, briefly, as though time might finally have changed everything.
Then Ziwe asked whether Zendaya could wear them too.
Roach answered no.
People reported that firm response on August 17, 2026, one day after the interview was released.
The moment was funny, but it also contained the central philosophy that has defined Roach's relationship with Zendaya.
His own feelings may evolve.
His own wardrobe can change.
But decisions involving the person whose career he helped build are treated differently.
More Than a Stylist and a Client
It would be easy to misunderstand Roach's protectiveness if his relationship with Zendaya were purely transactional.
It is not.
The two have worked together for roughly half of Zendaya's life.
Roach has spoken about the relationship in unusually personal terms, describing Zendaya at different times as a best friend, adviser, sibling-like presence and creative partner.
People reported in 2026 that he characterized their connection as almost inseparable after so many years of working together.
Zendaya's own comments over the years reinforce how deeply Roach is embedded in her fashion history.
When Vogue asked her to revisit some of her most memorable looks in 2024, Roach appeared throughout the story from the very beginning.
The clothes changed.
Her fame changed.
The scale of the events changed.
The collaborator beside her largely did not.
That longevity helps explain why the rejection story continues to resonate.