London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Law Roach Used Fashion History to Bring Halsey’s Visual Album to Life

Law Roach Used Fashion History to Bring Halsey’s Visual Album to Life

To create the epic wardrobe for If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, Roach looked to Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and more.

For musicians, visual albums represent one of the ultimate forms of expression. Artists have reached career highs by releasing films that connect their songs to a deeper message. This month Halsey debuted their take on the concept with, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, a double whammy that combines introspective songs produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross with full-on fantasy directed by Colin Tilley.

Released in IMAX, the hour long movie is a dramatic tale of courtly betrayals where Halsey’s thoughts on loneliness, romance, and motherhood come to life. If that wasn’t sensational enough, it’s also filled to the brim with high fashion selected by Hollywood image architect Law Roach, who served as costume designer. Roach, who was introduced to Halsey by her hairstylist, Martin-Christopher Harper, came to the project shortly after his first conversation with the star. “We just talked about fashion and the possibility of working together, then they offered me this incredible job,” shared Roach on the phone from Los Angeles. “At first, there were only supposed to be six looks, but it became so much bigger.”

The film’s protagonist, developed, written, and portrayed by Halsey, is a commoner-turned-queen whose abusive royal husband has died under suspicious circumstances. “This is a woman who feels powerful, but she’s also in a desperate [situation],” says Roach. “I wanted to build out her life through clothes that could reflect that.” The character’s duality is evident in the pieces that made the final cut. In mourning, the queen goes gothic in a sculpted black Stephane Rolland haute couture gown with shoulders details a Tudor monarch would approve of. Defiant moments call for the armored look of Joyce Spakman’s custom “warrior corsets,” which are decked out in gold, jeweled tassels, and miniature Renaissance portraits.



Though the story features the hallmarks of period drama-gossipy courtiers, villainous bureaucrats, and plenty of intrigues-Roach wasn’t limited to replicating the look of a specific historical era. “The exciting thing was we didn’t adhere to one reference point; we were able to bounce all over history,” he says. “There were pieces that felt very 1800s, others that were more baroque, some that seem like they’re from the 1600s. We had the freedom to create. Halsey gave me so much trust, and it was empowering.”

Working without a preview of the final songs and on a tight schedule, Roach and his team tirelessly created a wardrobe that matched the mood Halsey was trying to evoke. Many period projects rely heavily on costumes rented from archival houses. Instead, Roach focused on designers like Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano, whose work contains nods to classical reference points. “The fun part was finding modern clothes that were made to look vintage. We didn’t want to go to a costume house or rental place,” says Roach. “That would have made things easier, but it was more interesting to seek out these pieces, and when we couldn’t find the originals, we worked with designers to create new versions.

That vibrant green Vivienne Westwood dress Halsey wears during a playful scene with her ladies in waiting came straight from the brand’s spring/summer 1996 catwalk, where it was first worn by Linda Evangelista. The coordinating hot pink number used for a dream sequence was a custom creation whipped up by the Westwood team. Eagle-eyed fashion lovers will spy treasures like a black velvet gown from Christian Lacroix’s fall/winter 1998 runway and the spiky couture jewelry Shaun Leane created for Alexander McQueen’s landmark shows in the early aughts. Roach adds to the surreal vibe that Halsey and director Tiley sought by combining the designs to make editorial-worthy outfits. “As a stylist, opportunities to tell a story with this magnitude of clothing and all these archival pieces are rare,” he says. “It’s incredible just to touch and play with them because they’re a part of history.”

With the final project now available for the world to see, Roach is ready for what comes next. “This is my second film of the year, so I’m on a roll,” he says, nodding to the sleek evening wear he outfitted Zendaya in for Malcolm and Marie. “This experience was a dream, but we’re only getting started.”



Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda SS 2014



Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture SS 2015



Joyce Spakman custom headdress



Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda Spring/Summer 2020



Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood FW 2018



Custom Robe LaRoxx



Stephane Rolland Haute Couture SS 2021



Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Bridal SS 2019



Vivienne Westwood Custom Wedding Dress Circa 2001



Vivienne Westwood SS 1996



Dolce & Gabbana FW 2006



Christian Lacroix FW 1998

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×