CHAPPELL ROAN & GENESIS WEB ARE MASTERS at Method Dressing

Whether it be a full glam Statue of Liberty for New York City's Governors Ball, a bedazzled Lucha Libre wrestler for Chicago's Lollapalooza, or a drag queen Marie Antoinette for the Stephen Colbert Show, stylist Genesis Webb has made Chappell Roan's concert outfits just as much a performance as her singing itself.

Oklahoma-born Webb and Missouri-born Roan met on an editorial set in LA, where they bonded over their

shared Midwest backgrounds and interest in vintage clothes and thrifting. Now, they've collaborated on over 50

of Roan's looks. In May of 2024, Webb told Vulture Magazine," We start with a theme and then go, 'Okay, how

can we make it campier, bigger?". All the looks styled for Roan revolve around a central concept brought to life

through over-the-top clothing pulls, makeup, and accessories.

Roan's style is a masterclass in "method dressing," a term coined by journalist Andrew Wheeler to describe the

practice, particularly popular for movie stars, where stylists dress their clients in looks related to the project

they are promoting. Margot Robbie and stylist Andrew Mukamel immediately come to mind for the Barbie press

tour, or Jenna Ortega and Enrique Melendez for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. However, the styling strategy has

appeared on red carpets for years, with stars like Angelina Jolie promoting Maleficent, Zendaya for Spiderman

No Way Home, and more. Especially in the past year and a half, the method styling technique has become

oversaturated. Fashion Writer Hannah Jackson claimed in an article for Vogue that" method dressing is officially

tired." And while this may be true for many of our Hollywood favorites, Roan and Webb are the exception.

But what is it about Webb's approach that makes Chappell Roan’s style unique and awe-inspiring when so many

other method styled looks feel overdone and bordering on cheesy? One aspect is the boundlessness of her

creativity, willing to push the limit to the extremes and then push it even further.

Growing up, Webb, like many teenagers at the time, was an emphatic Tumblr user. She told Harper's Bazaar

that" Tumblr was so valuable. It introduced me to things like Party Monster or Kids, Harmony Korine." Her

broad knowledge of pop culture transcends genres from fantasy to horror and everything in between. Her

inspirations are increasingly novel because many of her references are to older media, such as The Tales of

Hoffman or Party Monster, either eerily familiar at best or entirely unknown to today's teens.

Webb also draws inspiration from designers she is fond of . Above all else, Alexander Mcqueen is her biggest

idol, telling Bazaar that" I watch his shows to this day, and I've seen them a million times, but I literally shed a

tear because of how beautiful it is." She is also fond of designers like Rick Owens and Yoji Yamamoto for their

dark color palettes and longline silhouettes.

While entertainment and runway are important to Webb's vision, the core approach that makes Chappell Roan's

is LGBTQ pride and artistry. It is no secret that Roan's aesthetic is intrinsically tied to the drag scene. Drag, a

type of performance art aims to exaggerate certain characteristics of gender identity. Most often, drag

performers are male identifying, dressing up as women for the sake of entertainment. However, Roan identifies

as female; her extravagant hair, makeup, and outfits emphasize her overemphasizing her femininity, embodying

Drag's spirit. She told the Guardian that" Drag is like a spa for my soul."

Roan makes sure to give back to the communities that influence her most. For her Naked in North America tour,

Roan helped platform and support local drag queens by allowing them to open her shows across the country.

She told fans during a Raleigh, North Carolina performance," Show them some love. Tip them a dollar. Tip them

twenty. Venmo them... a billion. Show them some love."

So, while method styling may be reaching its expiration on Hollywood Red Carpets, it remains a fresh and

innovative strategy at any stage that Chappell Roan takes. In a recent Instagram post Roan revealed,”My entire

project is about having fun, dressing up,and honoring your inner child.” With such strong creative ingenuity,

knowledge of cultural touchstones, and an affinity for the unexpected, when it comes to Webb and Roan's

combined genius, it is anyone's guess what they come up with next.