Yesterday afternoon, ESSENCE Fashion House NYC met capacity to hear revered Hollywood stylists Kollin Carter and Law Roach chat with ESSENCE Fashion Director, Marielle Bobo.
Individually, the talented creatives both boast an A-list clientele roster to rival the best.
Widely known for his work as the mastermind behind Zendaya’s stunning style evolution, Roach is also the ‘Image Architect’ behind the likes of Celine Dion, Tiffany Haddish and Kerry Washington – to name just a few. Carter, who’s credited with propelling Cardi B to fashion stardom, is also a go-to for beauties like Normani, Kelly Rowland and Naomi Campbell.
“I don’t take breaks, I don’t know what those are,” Carter explained, responding to an audience member who asked about finding downtime. “I’m praying to find that balance,” Roach added. “I work 7 days a week and, I work like that so that I never have to live as I did before.”
As the conversation continued, the panelists went on to open up about what their day to day entails. “I do think you have to take a step back and treat yourself,” Carter said. “But after that, you have to get right back to it.”
“That’s what fashion is. It is a debate, it is a conversation. If it’s not debatable, then it’s not really worth talking about” – Kollin Carter
Shifting the discussion, the panel elaborated on how styling celebrity talent is an around the clock job. The two each explained that working with showrooms across the country often means adjusting to all time zones.
“If I wake up at 9 am in L.A. it’s already noon in New York,” Roach said.”
As the panel came to a close, the gentleman spoke honestly about some of the challenges they face in their career fields. While many perceive holding down a job as a full time celebrity stylist to be more glamours than not, Roach and Carter both agreed that it comes with restless days, and sometimes, even rejection.
“I have to pull back and check myself because I’m putting myself out there for feedback,” Carter said. “That’s what fashion is. It is a debate, it is a conversation. If it’s not debatable, then it’s not really worth talking about.”
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Check out the video above to watch the panel discussion in full and be sure to head back to ESSENCE.com for more of everything you missed at ESSENCE Fashion House NY.