Discover Derek Roche: Diddy’s Longtime Stylist Behind the Iconic 2018 Pope-Inspired Met Gala Look

Sean “Diddy”Combs is currently in the news due to recent allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking, for which he is awaiting trial. As a prominent figure in the music scene, he has released six studio albums and established himself as one of the top rappers in the industry.

Diddy, also known as Puff Daddy, has often made headlines for his remarkable fashion sense. A standout moment occurred at the 2018 Met Gala, where Diddy turned heads in a striking all-white, Pope-inspired outfit. His longtime stylist, Derek Roche, reflected on this iconic look, stating:

“Puff actually went to Catholic private school as a kid, so this theme went with something that was engrained in him as a child.”

Derek Roche, originally from North Carolina and now based in Los Angeles, has built a career not just as a celebrity stylist but also as a seasoned market editor for fashion magazines.

Derek Roche’s Childhood Aspirations

In an October 2018 interview with Fashionista, Derek Roche recounted his childhood dream of becoming a speech pathologist. Growing up in Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the youngest of four, he attended the University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNC-G) after high school.

Initially majoring in speech pathology, Roche was moved by the daughter of one of his teachers. However, he soon switched to textile design, realizing that he found his true passion in creating fashion, noting, “making stuff to go out in.”

Before his final year, Derek interned with Patricia Field, describing this experience as his “rite of passage.”After graduating, he moved to Brooklyn, sharing an apartment with a friend. Acknowledging that UNC-G was a smaller art school, he felt the need for more experience to compete with graduates from prestigious fashion schools like FIT and Parsons.

“I knew I would have to do another internship, so I got one at Vibe in the fashion department under the fashion assistant.”

Although Roche didn’t find much growth potential at Vibe, he returned two years later as a market editor, which led to a collaboration with Diddy.

Discussing his work with the talented rapper, Roche expressed:

“The thing that’s exciting is that [Diddy] is into fashion; he’s into music; he’s into art — he’s a chameleon. What really excited me about the job was the uncertainty of tomorrow. Things change minute by minute, day by day,”he shared. “I didn’t know what I would need to do or where I would be, what city we were going to, what country we were going to.”

Throughout the years, Diddy and Derek Roche have separated and reunited several times.

Diddy’s Met Gala Look: A Last-Minute Change

During the May 2018 Met Gala, Diddy made a splash on the red carpet in a Pope-inspired outfit, accompanied by Cassie Ventura in a chic black suit. Reflecting on Diddy’s striking ensemble, stylist Derek Roche shared insights with Billboard:

“I guess the best thing for him while in school and growing up, aside from his mom and his grandma and his dad, was believing in God. And in the Catholic church, the Pope is kind of the next thing to God, right?”

Roche added that Diddy’s favorite color, white, played a significant role in the design:

“It didn’t hurt that Puff’s favorite color is white. When we thought about what the Pope wears, Puff said, ‘I’m godlike, right? As a successful black man, as a father, as an entrepreneur. So why not wear that same cloth, why not wear white like the Pope?

Designer Musika Frere had originally crafted a cape for Diddy’s outfit, but it was removed last minute, along with various regalia, to keep the look more understated. Roche explained:

“[Diddy] didn’t want it to look like a costume. Even though it is a costume party, Puff didn’t want to look like he was dressed up for Halloween. He still wanted to be himself. So organically it evolved into this beautiful, heaven-like look. He looks so strong and powerful. He said that when he walked into the room, he wanted to look heavenly.”

Roche mentioned Jude Law in The Young Pope as inspiration for Diddy’s jewelry that night.

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