Under the Grandfluence: Prince Stash
5 min read
From aristocratic, eccentric friends of Sixties rockstars to TikTok sensation, Prince Stash has led an incredible and unique life
If you were anyone who was anyone in the 1960s and 1970s,
then the chances are that you probably know Prince Stanislas
Klossowski de Rola—better known as Prince Stash. Take anyone from that era and
he probably knew them; Marianne Faithful, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Nico and
Brian Jones are just a few of the big names that he rubbed shoulders with.
In recent years
though, he’s taken TikTok by storm. From his castle in Italy, he documents his life and
his encounters with rock icons. His castle is filled with antiques, from
paintings to enchanted amulets and ancient daggers.
Prince Stash’s
TikTok account now has 191,000 followers, introducing him to a whole new
generation just as a Gucci advert, where he played Harry Styles’ father, did in
2019. In many ways, Styles can be seen as a protégé or heir to Stash, embracing
his androgynous, eccentric dress sense and rock star attitude. In less than three months, his Instagram account has exploded to over 400,000 followers.
As Prince
Stash’s star once again begins to rise, Owen Scott sat down with the 81-year-old aristocrat about his remarkable life.
How did you get into TikTok?
TikTok, at
first, seemed crazy. I never even thought about it. I was put in contact with
Sandy [Grigsby, Prince Stash's Creative Director and Brand Manager] though and I credit her with the whole thing.
Do you think social media, like TikTok and Instagram, is a good thing in how it shapes culture?
Prince Stash in October 2023. Credit: David zelaya
I think that
social media can be puritanical in some ways. We had a video where I showed
a Turkish sabre that was bequeathed to my ancestors by a Sultan, which caused
some controversy. It happened that an expert at a museum in Istanbul was very
excited about the sword and I repeated his words, which caused the video to
become banned. People thought it was an incitement to violence! It had been
alleged that marks on the sword were a way to count its victims and that caused
some problems.
Another one of
our videos “violated community standards” in terms of nudity. The video
contained a Fresco (an Italian mural painting), which you could just glimpse in
the distance. A very ancient pistol in the background also, apparently,
suggested violence.
What do you think of the content on TikTok in general? Do you think it has a diverse range of content or do you think it is over-curated?
I think content
on TikTok can be sometimes flimsy, definitely. People now have a 30 second
attention span. Normally, I would never embrace such a medium.
I think it can
be over-policed. Someone asked me about David Bowie and the adventures he and I
had together, but I couldn’t talk about it because it would violate the
community guidelines.
Your androgynous 1960s style is one of the things you are most known for. Where did the inspiration for how you dress come from?
As a child, I
had such a passion for ruffles and satin; there is a picture of me, at age 10,
wearing a top hat with ruffles.
"As a child, I had such a passion for ruffles and satin; there's a picture of me, age 10, wearing a top hat with ruffles"
In 1961, I
starred in a film which was a precursor to David Hemming’s Blow-Up, where
I played a photographer. I designed my own costumes, because I had the satin
and silks and the ruffled clothes. That look, years later, became the New
Romantic look.
What were your thoughts on 1960s fashion at the time? What made you set out to be different?
Prince Stash with late Rolling Stones member Brian Jones at the Piper Club in 1967
In the 1960s, I
was trying to avoid the Carnaby Street uniform. I found some 18th Century
clothes that my father [Polish-French artist Balthus] had and I wore them on the cover of my single. Bill
Willis, a famous decorator, gave me a Damascus jacket that I shared with Brian
Jones, since we wore each other’s clothes. Brian and I scoured shops, like
the ones that Slash’s mother (Ola Hudson) owned and we transformed women’s
clothes into tunics. I wanted to look like [famous 1930's comic book character] Prince Valiant.
In Morocco, I
found women’s clothes in bazaars; I even adapted a wedding dress into my own
clothes. It was an organic thing; I wasn’t doing it to be stylish. I wanted to
avoid becoming “the bowler hat brigade”.
How would you describe the 1960s London scene?
The 1960s seem
to be very appealing to younger generations. People think of it as this
completely countercultural time. It was actually a time of incredible abuse, by
those in the “straight” world. Not “straight” in terms of sexuality, but those
who saw people who were different as freaks. We decided, then, that we were a fraternity
of freaks.
"In the 1960s, many saw people who were different as freaks—we decided we were a fraternity of freaks"
The authorities
were furious at this. I used to get stopped at customs all the time. When I was
going to Switzerland from America, the man at customs said that he would send
his son to the war in Vietnam if he dressed like me. He said it with such
hatred.
You’ve often been referred to as a “dandy”, but famously rejected this label. What separates you from the Dandies?
Prince Stash has always had an extravagant taste in fashion
I was often
called a “dandy”, but our extravagant clothes were actually a throwback to the
“Incredible Ones” in France. They were sartorial craziness. Dandyism was
focused on being fastidiously elegant, so much so that you became invisible.
What memories do you have of women in the 1960s? It’s often known as a time of female liberation, after all.
I have so many
memories of the women at the time. With the sexual liberation and the pill,
everything changed. Women could be free to explore their sexuality without
guilt, which meant men couldn’t be possessive with women anymore. If you did want an exclusive relationship
though, that was too bad.
However, there
was no sense that women wanted to be taken care of. Women were totally
independent, where now that seems to be rolling back. There’s an attitude that
harkens back to the pre-liberation, an attitude that suggests women want to be
taken care of in a materialistic way.
Is there anyone today that still has the 1960s rebellious spirit?
I think, today,
so many celebrities live on endorsement money and the corporations that own
these huge brands operate on a scorched-earth policy. There are no second
chances, when it comes to allegations and things like that.
"Reputation counts for so much with celebrities now, so it’s a lot harder to have that rebellious spirit"
Reputation counts
for so much with celebrities now, so it’s a lot harder to have that rebellious spirit.
Is that more scrutinising attitude towards celebrities something you have experience with?
I was approached
to write a book and, hooked by the large sum they were offering, ignored the
fact that it could become twisted. The material I gave them became this
horrendous drivel filled with altered facts.
Later, Victor
Lownes, who was the head of Playboy UK at the time, found Stocks House in
Hertfordshire with me. He converted the home, who belonged to Aldous Huxley’s
aunt, into this sort of Playboy Bunny school. Victor once called me over and
said he read the book. I asked how it was and he said “bad”. I walked into the
house to find everyone reading it, which was just awful.
Have attitudes towards ageing changed since the 1960s?
Prince Stash is stylish and undeniably cool to this day. Credit: Sandy Grigsby, Briofive
I think it’s
changed because older people can be considered “cool”. I remember, in the 1980s,
being asked about the 1960s and just laughing. The nostalgia for the 1960s and
the charm that the Beatles and Rolling Stones had is massive. The things I
lived through, and other people lived through, are “cool”. I’m looking to
re-release a vinyl of a 1966 song I did, with one of my unreleased ones.
How was working with Harry Styles for Gucci’s 2019 campaign?
In the ad
campaign, I was the patriarch to this hippie family that Harry was a part of.
Harry is so charming. He came up to me and was so respectful and kind. The
ornaments on my clothes would fall off and he would rush to pick them up. I think he is
also very talented.
Banner photo: Prince Stash in his castle in Italy. Credit: Sandy Grigsby, Briofive
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