Steve Aoki is a well-known DJ who has been nominated for two Grammys. Aoki is a man also famously known for throwing cakes at his fans during his performances called, “caking”. But Aoki has recently tried something new amongst all the things the constantly moving artist does.
Steve Aoki is a multi-hyphenate artist who tends to spray Champagne at his fans. Steve Aoki is best described as a long-haired, bearded-tattooed and a Las Vegas lover. Aoki is the son of the late Benihana restaurant founder Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki. Steve Aoki is an icon known for his EDM scene, being based out of the Hakkasan Nightclub at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Aoki found Dim Mak Records in Los Angeles, where he once called home growing up in Newport Beach, in 1996.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbtI6KBHc6V/?taken-by=steveaoki
“I never thought of myself as a DJ,” Aoki said in the 2016 Netflix documentary “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.” “I always thought of myself as a promoter and record label guy.”
Aoki was at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills on a mid-October evening after a video shoot and a stop by his hotel. Aoki, who is 39 now, was wearing distressed jeans and a white graphic shirt under an oversize green-and-and-black-check flannel shirt.
“Today is a really big day,” he said about the Saks event he was hosting in celebration of the arrival of his Dim Mak Collection men’s streetwear line. “The soul of what I do has always been based on music, but I’m always going to follow my passion and interests in fashion equally. It’s just a whole new wheelhouse. … It’s like nurturing a second child.”
“When you’re in a band, you have to make those T-shirts,” he continued. “So, I was making T-shirts for my bands when I was 15, 16 years old. … I learned how to play guitar. I learned how to write a song. I learned how to screen my first T-shirt. Through the course of doing that, I got more and more interested in fashion. … Music and fashion are all part of the same culture and lifestyle.”
Steve Aoki has been very successful with his music career that he’s financially stable enough to be able to pursue a fashion project and other things. “I’m all in,” he said. “I’m not saying all of my money is in it. I’m just saying my mind is all in, and it’s an incredible journey. … The DIY spirit never left — but now it’s a little bit more expensive.”
Fashion is a new way for Aoki to get into his creative spirit in new ways and to reach his fan base. “Instead of doing music collaborations,” he said, “we’re doing fashion and art collaborations.”
Steve Aoki released a new album this year called, “Steve Aoki Presents Kolony”. This past Friday Aoki with Lauren Jauregui called “All Night”. Aoki also has his schedule full of highly regarded shows at festivals and clubs all around the globe.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbspMlYnxip/?taken-by=steveaoki
Aoki is pretty popular on social media as well boasting 5.7 million Instagram followers, where Aoki constantly posts pictures capturing his most adrenaline filled moments like stage diving into the crowd.
Through fashion, Aoki is setting himself up to reach a bigger audience. Aoki started his men’s indie-rock- and skate-culture-inspired streetwear line, Dim Mak Collection, in 2014 as a way to help him grow his brand.
“The dream is to do a collection,” Aoki said. “You get to that point. You’re, like, ‘OK, I’ve done the T-shirts. I’ve done the hoodies. I want to immerse myself in cut and sew. I want to immerse myself in the full array of what fashion is.’”
Dim Mak Collection, was previously only being sold in Japan, the streetwear label had its North American debut this year at New York Fashion Week: Men’s. and this upcoming season it will be carried by select Saks Fifth Avenue stores, that includes Beverly Hills, and also online.
