By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
Genesis Webb is finding sleep elusive these days. The 26 year old, renowned as Chappell Roan’s stylist, joins a Zoom call from a garage in Los Angeles' Highland Park, which she has transformed into a combined bedroom and workspace. The garage door is covered with magazine clippings, mood boards, and photos, offering a glimpse into Webb’s creative mind. With her long black hair, bleached eyebrows, and throat tattoo, Webb fits right into this dimly lit, gothic scene. Despite the questionable legality of her setup, she loves her space. “I don’t sleep much or well, so when I do, I need total darkness and silence, like a dungeon,” she says.
Webb's strong aesthetic sense found its first audience on Tumblr. “I got popular on Tumblr at 14. I just knew what to do,” she says. There, she discovered the culture and films that inspire some of Chappell Roan’s looks, like Divine in "Pink Flamingos" and the movie "Party Monster." Webb started selling thrifted clothes in 2014 and soon turned it into a full time freelance career, later launching a jewelry brand. After a breakup, she left a year long cross country road trip with her ex and moved to Los Angeles in February 2020, just before the pandemic hit. “I moved to LA alone, and the whole world shut down within a month. I was almost out of money, fully in credit card debt, and I knew I had to pivot,” she says. Many had encouraged her to pursue styling, given her fashion knowledge from thrifting. “One day, I decided to go for it. I followed every stylist on Instagram, and within a week, I had my first job with Davey Sutton.” A month later, she was on set with Lady Gaga, assisting Nicola Formichetti.
Webb, originally from Phoenix, moved frequently as a child but considers Oklahoma City home. “My mom just liked to move,” she says. Her Midwestern background helped her bond with Missouri native Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, aka Chappell Roan. Webb and Amstutz met on set for an editorial styled by Formichetti and connected over their love of vintage and thrifting, as well as their Midwestern roots. A week later, Webb became Chappell Roan’s stylist. They have pushed each other to expand beyond their personal tastes. “She loves drag and comes from a glam drag background, while I love the club kid scene, which is harsher,” Webb says. “She taught me that glam and glitter can be just as avant garde and high fashion.” Webb initially envisioned a punkier look for Chappell Roan but changed her mind after seeing her perform live. “Seeing thousands of people in costume at her LA show made me realize the importance of creating a safe, queer space,” she says. This blend of aesthetics has led to some of their most iconic work, like Chappell Roan’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert look a fuchsia Betsey Johnson dress with a red beehive wig, adorned with cigarette butts.
As Chappell Roan’s fame has grown, so has Webb’s role. “I’m the fashion creative director. We choose concepts together, and I create decks for everything, including makeup and hair inspiration,” she says. A notable moment was their appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," where Webb coordinated elaborate white and black swan looks with matching feathery makeup. Webb originally planned a different outfit for Fallon, sharing an exclusive look with Vogue, a sheer white GCDS top over a matching bra and a white and cream Ottolinger skirt, intended to complement the white swan theme. “I liked the illusion of the skirt making her look like a sitting duck,” she says.
Despite being early in their careers, Webb and Amstutz are ready for the journey ahead. “I couldn’t ask for a better client because she loves pushing the vision,” Webb says. Underneath the makeup and glitter, they are two young women navigating the world together. “Coming from humble beginnings and now being in spaces we’ve only seen in movies and dreams, you can’t take it too seriously. It feels like the whole world is watching, which is pressurizing, but I’m getting calmer because it’s out of my control now.”
