Creative Director Genesis Webb Takes Us Inside Chappell Roan’s VMA Takeover

Few stylists today are doing it like Genesis Webb, the Oklahoma-born architect of Chappell Roan’s vibrant, campy and utterly original aesthetic. As expected, Interview‘s September star delivered yet another unforgettable moment at this week’s MTV Video Music Awards, where she won Best New Artist and also took us back to medieval times with her medley performance of “Red Wine Supernova,” “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Hot to Go!” After the show, we called up her right-hand woman to talk about the return of camp, what it’s really like being a Hollywood stylist, and how she turned Chappell into our knight in shining armor.

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JULIAN RIBEIRO: Congratulations on your huge week. I mean, how are you feeling right now?

GENESIS WEBB: I feel really good, relieved. It was a feat for sure. Definitely the biggest thing I’ve ever done. Some of the best, if not the best, performances have been at the VMAs. It was one of those things that was like, if we’re going to do it, we got to do it with a bang.

RIBEIRO: Well, you guys absolutely killed the VMAs. It’s giving Baldur’s Gate 3 if they slayed.

WEBB: Thank you.

RIBEIRO: I think everyone expected something major, and it definitely delivered. Like you said, the VMAs are so much about the performance and moments that people look back on in the future. What was the process of preparing for a project with so many moving parts?

WEBB: Well, Chappell wanted to do “knight.” But I’ll be honest, her outfit changed three times because of fire regulations. The initial render for what everyone was thinking was literally impossible to do, which ended up being divine intervention because I wouldn’t change a thing. With something that big, you’re thinking of the larger picture and taking away your ego. The initial thought was never how it was going to be. It’s impossible. We were just rolling with the punches. 

RIBEIRO: 100%. It’s a never-ending pyramid of things to deal with, but it looked nuts. Can we talk a little bit about the process of developing these big events?

WEBB: Yeah. I wanted the entire night to be a performance, as did [Chappell]. Regardless of her being nominated, I wanted it to be a moment. And thank god she won the award. I had the [Paco] Rabanne look ready to go months and months ago. She wanted a gown for the red carpet instead. So then it was just about creating this story. She comes out with a knight, she looks very feminine and soft. The knight rolls out a rug for her to stand on. It was this intensively theatrical moment showing her femininity, but also the power that she holds. The knight gives her the sword, and she gives it back. And then, the actual performance where she becomes the knight and accepts the award. It’s a dress made of beautiful silver plates that look like a knight, but it’s such a feminine outfit, too.

RIBEIRO: I was thinking about this a lot, but it feels like these moments work best with “narrative.” I say that in quotes, but small-scale world building. I’m curious to hear what you think about the importance of storytelling through fashion.

WEBB: I think it’s everything. Especially with musicians, because the stage itself can be so limiting. You don’t really have an opportunity to show your world on stage, unless you have really crazy budgets. I think with her, and she realizes it too, the costumes are so much. It allows the audience to be brought into this different world. Everyone’s trying to escape, and it’s nice to have so many different options. I think Charli XCX talked about world-building too, and icons being icons because of the world that they create. And I agree—it’s everything when it comes to longevity. Film, to me, is the top tier form of art. So we’re just trying to create tiny versions of that, right?

RIBEIRO: Yeah. I feel like it also works because we are now in such a high-paced, visual culture where we see so many images and kids are interacting with art from everywhere and every decade. It no longer enough to just be in a beautiful dress. You have to show us the fantasy. 

WEBB: Well, we’re going back to maximalism, which I love. I know a lot of people say that what Chappell and I do is not necessarily “fashion” because she doesn’t even really wear brands. I literally will never do it if it doesn’t make sense, and I don’t give a fuck about money. Neither of us give a fuck about money. I don’t care about selling people things. All we want to do is make art the way that we want. I don’t really want to play the game.

RIBEIRO: Yeah, most people don’t know much about how the business side of this all works. It’s a complicated web of like, months of negotiation and emails and numbers. 

WEBB: 100%. But it’s going in a new direction. I feel like people are pulling out. I feel like designers and houses are also moving in a direction too and showing theater on the runway. Even in the next two seasons, I feel like we’re going to get some really incredible shows and pieces.

RIBEIRO: Yeah. I’m interested to hear your take on this because I was talking with Dara, our fashion director, and I was like, “Are people aware that camp is back?” The kids react to these campy ass images. That’s what kids like. Does my little brother think it’s cool that someone wore X brand? He doesn’t recognize them, but he can understand that Chappell Roan is a knight, and that rocks. That visual moment is going to communicate so much more.

WEBB: Yeah. Camp is back. It makes fashion not a niche, gatekept secret. I don’t think that you should have to know a laundry list of brands to be interested in fashion. Because at the end of the day, none of these kids know this or that brand. But they can recognize if it’s a show.

RIBEIRO: There are definitely kids who are watching your last year of projects with Chappell, and maybe will think more critically about clothing and image-making and art. How does it feel to be establishing a visual legacy?

WEBB: I think I try not to think about that because I get too emotional and also freak out. I grew up in Oklahoma and reached for anything. I sat in my room all day and skipped school and watched DownWard Spiral movies and Party Monster and Spun. I was reaching for something that was as hectic as I felt like my life was, and it gave me a glimpse of reason to try for more. So to be that for somebody would be incredible. I came from nothing. There’s no reason why I should be in this position right now, other than the fact that I just refused to do anything else. I refused to work a 9:00 to 5:00. I got a throat tattoo. Even if I have to live in my car, I would die for it. And I tell everyone, if you will die for it, then you’ll get it. If you wouldn’t die for it, then you might as well do something else.

RIBEIRO: Totally. Fuck it. I’m interested to hear about what your day-to-day looks like.

WEBB: Yeah, it’s definitely been changing. I got an assistant pretty recently, and it’s been so nice. I’m just trying to establish some actual team because I don’t know everything at all. I still have so much to learn from others that have been doing this a lot longer than me. I’ve just reached out to a lot of people, mentors in a way. But it’s weird, because I feel like in fashion, everyone wants a piece of the pie. So to get help from others, it’s hard. Which is fine, I get that. But I’m trying to learn more as fast as humanly possible, so that’s really what my days are looking like. I just wanna do better, be better, learn more, and try not to let anybody down. Being a stylist is the dirtiest job creatively, I think, in the industry. The schlepping, the amount of packages, checking it in, checking it out. And if you lose something, that’s $20,000. Where do you think that money comes from? 

RIBEIRO: Like, I don’t think that most people have a full picture of what the job entails. A lot of people are like, “I’m a stylist because I know what would look hot on you.” And it’s like, “No, you’re a stylist because you’re arguing with someone’s PR at 3 a.m. being like, ‘Where is the dress?’ ‘Does anyone have tape?’”

WEBB: No, a roll of duct tape comes with me everywhere. I have duct-taped a bitch right before the Coachella stage because their latex bodysuit broke. Stylists are mean because their life is hell, so it’s okay. I know they don’t get a fucking vacation, they’re on their phone 24/7, and they probably don’t sleep.

RIBEIRO: Does it feel like trial by fire?

WEBB: 100%. I haven’t talked about it, but at Osheaga, we had so many problems with the stage costume. I was side stage, such a wreck. I turned around and Smashing Pumpkins were right behind me and I was just sobbing. That really did take me out for a couple weeks. It was like, “Fuck, I made mistakes and also in front of such a huge audience.” Luckily, Chappell is amazing and doesn’t get upset. She understands that it’s a team effort, and we’re a small team. I just want to take care of Chappell. I really do care for her, and it would hurt to know that I failed the fans or the team or her.

RIBEIRO: I feel you. I hate to be this guy, but I feel like your life has changed a lot recently. What would you say to someone that wants to join this world?

WEBB: Don’t have a plan B. That’s letting the back of your mind know that you think you’re gonna fail.