Law Roach says Zendaya’s Oscar dreadlocks led to the birth of the Crown Act

Law Roach reflects on sparking change when Zendaya wore dreadlocks to the 2015 Oscars.

The celebrity stylist, who has also been a long-time client and close friend of the actress since she was a teenager, recently opened the TeenVogue Summit on the style choices for her Oscar appearance, as the challenger Stern was 18 years old. At the time, Fashion Police Co-host Giuliana Rancic received criticism for saying that Zendaya looked like “she smells like patchouli oil or weed” that night.

Although Roach didn’t mention Rancic’s name during the panel discussion, he said that these “really terrible comments” from “this TV personality” actually led to important conversations.

“Fashion has the ability to make political statements and I think that we should use fashion to express ourselves and what we agree with and disagree with about what’s going on in politics, because they are our voices that should make a difference,” the stylist continued. “This one case has actually changed the way black people’s hair is accepted in schools and the workplace. Although we did not set out to make this grand statement because of what happened, the Crown Act actually arose from that incident.”

The Crown Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” was created in 2019 to “ensure protection against discrimination based on racist hairstyles by extending legal protections to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, curls and braids are extended.” and knots in the workplace and in public schools.”

Roach added, “It was something we just did and didn’t know it was going to happen like that.” But we’re grateful for it because it really sparked a global conversation about what’s best for Black people’s hair, especially Black people black women, is appropriate.”

After Rancic’s comments, Zendaya clapped back E! News The presenter said her reaction consisted of “ignorant insults and sheer disrespect.” The euphoria star added at the time: “To say that an 18-year-old young woman with curly hair must smell like patchouli oil or ‘grass’ is not only a huge cliché, but also outrageously offensive.”

Rancic later apologized on television E! Newssaid: “This was really a learning experience for me – I learned a lot today – and this incident taught me to be much more aware of clichés and stereotypes and how much harm they can cause.” And that I, like all of us , am responsible for not continuing it.”

Zendaya responded at the time, saying she was “glad it was a learning experience for you and the network.”