Law Roach says you have to be “consumed” by work, and the internet has thoughts

Law Roach is one of fashion’s biggest names, styling the likes of Zendaya, Naomi Campbell, and Céline Dion. What’s the secret to his success? Apparently, it’s forgoing any work-life balance, according to a recent appearance on a podcast.

When Roach was a guest on the fashion podcast The Cutting Room Floor, host Recho Omondi raised the topic: “A lot of people, they say that they want to have work-life balance, you know, but it doesn’t really feel realistic,” she said, and Roach immediately launched into a story about a former assistant, Timothy Luke Garcia, who’d moved to Los Angeles from New York just to work with him.

“The first day he got to work, he was late. I sent him home,” Roach said. “The next day, he was late. I sent him home again.”

Garcia seemed to learn his lesson, said Roach, and became a valued employee. But around 2022, after Roach’s team had styled 32 magazine covers in a single year, Garcia came to him with a problem.

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“She kept her promise,” the celebrity stylist said of the pinky swear that set his relationship with Zendaya in motion.

“We were working. We were pumping out the work,” Roach said. “He came to me, he said, ‘Yeah, you know, I just don’t know if I want to be consumed.’” 

“I said, ‘You’re 24 years old.’ I said, ‘How do you think I got to be where I am? I was consumed by my work. I was consumed by my passion,’” Roach continued. “He said, ‘Yeah, I don’t wanna be consumed.’ I said, “Okay, well, you don’t wanna work here!’”

Since then, Garcia’s become a successful stylist in his own right, with clients including Ice Spice and Chloë Bailey. After making it big himself, Garcia apparently called Roach to give him an update. 

“He’s like, ‘Mother, you remember that time when I said I didn’t want to be consumed?’ I said, ‘Yes, daughter,” Roach recalled. “He said, ‘I’m consumed.’”

That’s the moral of the story, according to Roach: “You have to be! If you want to be successful,” he concluded. “In theory, work-life balance, you know.”

Garcia himself posted the podcast clip to X with the caption, “I can’t believe he told this story.” But when Roach’s comments hit social media, the responses were mixed, to say the least. Lots of people pointed out that Roach may be correct about what it takes to be successful, but that doesn’t mean being “consumed” by work is a good thing. One viral response reads, “Love him but I hope this era of work consuming our lives to be well fed ends in our lifetime.”

I’m sure there is an alternate reality here where he does not consume himself and instead comes up with a healthy way to deal with life and work and Law comes back to him eventually and realizes there indeed is a better way.

— Witty & Worldly (@WittyWorldly) May 21, 2024

Others agreed with Roach’s message wholeheartedly, saying that when your job is your passion, there’s nothing wrong with letting it take over your life.

Letting yourself get consumed may not work for everyone — but it certainly worked for Roach.

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