DO swoon over his style

Quentin Thrash, better known as Stayfly Thrash, is wowing the fashion world, one suit at a time. Here’s how he became one of the most stylish men around.

who would have thought fashion would take this small-town kid around the world?’ So tweeted Stayfly Thrash from the SA Fashion Week front row last year. And it’s surely been quite a journey for this self-described ‘Sartorial Rockstar’, from a conservative small town in Georgia, US.

Style wasn’t an interest until an uncle unintentionally sparked his passion. “My uncle spent most of his money on his appearance and he believed in only wearing things once,” he says. As a result, the young Quentin was on the receiving end of multiple hand-me-downs, some of them still brand new.

“I got a lot more attention when I started dressing well,” he says, and spurred on by the experience, he began uploading images to social media. Interest from photographers as well as styling commissions soon followed, and he had the extra appeal of a barber’s license, which meant he could brand himself as the ‘fashion forward’ barber.

His proudest moments? Styling Prince for the ‘Breakfast Can Wait’ video, and dressing the mega-star for a performance at The Arsenio Hall Show.

“I thought, ‘Wow, I must be doing something right if I get to work with someone of Prince’s calibre at such a young age,’” he recalls.

That said, he believes in staying true to his roots. “I still wear my gold teeth, and I have tattoos and dreads because that relates to where I’m from. My goal is to inspire people through the way I dress.”

So how would he describe his style, which draws from the different places, cultures and people he’s encountered? “New era dandy,” he replies. “My art lies in being able to mould those worlds together, so they make sense.”

Can’t get enough of Stayfly Thrash? Watch him on Red Bull’s Social Fabric at redbull.tv.