THRASH "THE SARTORIAL ROCK STAR" STYLE SESSIONS PT. 1

Anticipation filled the showroom, as the Style Barre team awaited the arrival of the highly sought after style influencer Thrash. For years, we have been following his journey online and have witnessed firsthand his professional growth. Finally, we were able to sit down with the man referred to as, “The Sartorial Rock Star.” With a following of 23K on Instagram, Thrash is not only a digital influencer, but he is also a face of the millennials.

The Sartorial Rock Star???...... This an interesting phrase with an intriguing meaning. Sartorial is a word that is used frequently in fashion. In a city where people throw around titles and names with no meaning behind them, Style Barre respects the fact that Thrash did his research by defining Sartorial as "relating to tailoring clothes or style of dress.

As soon as the tall figure entered the showroom, all eyes were immediately on Thrash. At first glance, it’s easy to understand why he is known for his “stand out from the crowd style.” There were so many focal points to fixate on: Well groomed dread locks, multiple rings on every finger, layers and layers of jewelry and fashion buttons strategically placed on a well fitted black leather motorcycle jacket. (My favorite was the button that read “Haute Couture is dead.”) When he spoke, a gold grill glistened and when he stepped closer his fitted ripped distressed denim, paired with a white distressed tee and layered with a colorful plaid shirt caught our eyes. What also caught our attention was his tattoos that could be seen through his distressed tee that was later fully exposed.

Okay, I can see the correlation. “The Sartorial Rock Star”; yes the name suits him.

Anticipation quickly turned into frantic chaotic energy when the stylists realized Thrash wasn’t too fond of the pieces pulled. Prior to this dilemma, the style team knew it might be a style challenge working with Thrash due to his specific style and his physique. A question that we continuously asked was, “Would he be a creative with an open mind?” This was an alarming concern for the style team. The desire was for everyone to freely create. We knew that Thrash had a certain image to uphold as this was confirmed when he later stated he wouldn’t sacrifice his image for anything. We get it! His followers look to him visually for style advice, As an influencer, he has a business relationship with specific brands and as an overall creative, Thrash’s style is an extension of his personal brand.

As the first male influencer for Style Barre, the purpose meeting with Thrash was to not only gain insight and allow him the opportunity to share his story but also highlight the brands featured at Style Barre. In addition, we wanted to infuse the various styles of the team mixed with Thrash’s personal style.

During the pull, Thrash didn't seem too confident in the direction of the styling. He kept making a point that his style was aesthetic. “My style looks like I just throw things together, but my thought process is strategic. At the core of my style are basic staples that I can wear 10 years from now. That’s important to me.”

While we were in no way trying to change his style or make Thrash into something he is not, the goal was to work together to present a style that showed distinct collaboration. What should have been a short fitting turned into a long one as the stylists and Thrash went back and forth deciding the final looks.

That is when the beauty of the creative process begins and the meeting of minds becomes one. “The Sartorial Rock Star” loved the Style Barre represented brands of Odaingerous and Dunyah and he looked amazing in them. By mixing his eclectic jewelry with our designer apparel, the collaboration was working! (The look is never complete without statement jewelry.) What started off as a rough day turned out to be a successful collaboration between Thrash and Style Barre.

While the fitting took some time, the photoshoot was a smooth transition. Our in-house photographer Yoshawn Smith successfully captured stunning images of Thrash and with Yoshawn’s creative eye and Thrash’s naturalness in front of the camera, it looked like an editorial shoot in the streets of Downtown L.A. Coincidentally Thrash and Yoshawn (a.k.a. Sartorial Los Angeles) also share similarities in their thought processes as they both use the term Sartorial to describe their philosophy around their respective careers.

" With Yoshawn’s creative eye and Thrash’s naturalness in front of the camera, it looked more like an editorial shoot in the streets of Downtown L.A."

We sat down with Thrash for an intimate conversation on his style, career, fashion interests and future.

What is currently on your music playlist?

Thrash: Well I’m from the South, therefore I listen to a lot of old trap music. Music artists such as Lil Boosie, Jeezy, Young Thug, 21 Savage and Kodak Black. I’m a real Southern Country dude.

Can you describe your style?

Thrash: My style is always evolving but currently, it’s a mixture of Rock Star meets Cowboy. That’s the best way to explain it.

Who inspires you in fashion?

Thrash: I’m inspired by so many things, different cultures and different eras. My biggest influencer is Kanye West. It’s not his style that influences me, but I like the idea that he’s a masculine figure in music and fashion who is not afraid to play with style concepts. He’s unapologetic for his fashion choices.

If you could pick a celebrity to style, who would it be?

Thrash: Tough question to answer because I do not see myself as a celebrity stylist. I feel if someone already has a dope style, they do not need to be made over by a stylist.

Where was the last place you shopped and what are your favorite stores?

Thrash: The last store I shopped at was Topshop. I bought a pair of boots. The fashion dilemma I have with the Topshop brand is the fit of a lot of their pants. It’s hard for me to fit into a lot of their clothes because I’m tall and slim, however my legs are muscular.

Ralph Lauren is my favorite brand. I’ll always be a fan of Ralph Lauren. That’s my favorite designer.

Visually looking at Thrash’s style, you may not see the correlation to why Ralph Lauren would be his favorite designer. However, if you understand the DNA of the Ralph Lauren brand, then you understand how this American Designer creates timeless pieces. This is the reason Thrash made it a point to mention his love of staple pieces that last years from now. It makes sense!!!

How did you feel when you first tried on Dunyah’s black coat with leather accents?

Thrash: It felt good. That’s what I noticed immediately. It was well designed. I liked the different texture and fabrics Dunyah explored. The fact that the fit was great without needing any tailoring done is what sold me and made me fall in love with the coat.

"I liked the different texture and fabrics Dunyah explored"

Was it awkward shooting with no shirt on in the cold when wearing the Odain Jacket?

It wasn’t weird at all. Any excuse to take my shirt off, I’m open to the idea.

You were formerly in a style duo, what encouraged you to go solo?

Thrash: (With an unexpected look upon his face, he respectfully answers the question.) That’s a touchy subject I would rather not go into details. Let’s just say our lives ended up going in different directions.

How did you become a celebrity barber?

Thrash: I’m originally from Georgia, but moved to Florida where I met a guy named Norman in high school who cut hair at school. He was a dope dude that was popular and had the prettiest girl at school. I viewed him as the “cool guy.” I was inspired by this guy’s work ethic. I felt like if he could do hair, I could do hair. I viewed myself as an artist. When I transferred schools, my love for hair followed. I picked up my father’s old clippers and started to cut my own hair. When I went to college I began cutting teammates’ hair, which led me to get my barber’s license.

What celebrities have you worked with as a barber?

Thrash: I’ve worked with French Montana, AJ Green and PARTYNEXTDOOR, amongst other celebrities.

Which celebrity to do you think needs a new hair look?

Thrash: Kodak Black... He definitely needs a new hair look.

What can we expect from you in the near future?

Thrash: Television! I would love to have my own reality show. I feel like I have a story a lot of people can relate too. However, many people from my walk of life, do not know the road I have chosen is a possibility. There’s a lot of fashion content out there, but there isn't content coming from artists with my background. I do not come from a fashion background. Television will be the ideal platform to reach and inspire people.