In order to name America’s most stylish DJs, one must consider how to define style. More than owning an expensive wardrobe or knowing about the newest, coolest gadget, style is a distinct way of doing things and the influence it has on others. Truly fashionable producers don’t do what everybody else is doing; they establish their own paths (and record companies) and start new, inspiring trends. With that said, here are four of the most stylish DJs in the United States.
Steve Aoki
In an age of successful start-up corporations and technology driven websites, Steve Aoki founded Dim Mak Records in his college dorm room in 1996. Now a top grossing music producer, show promoter and nightclub owner, Aoki jets across the world in a private plane, customized with his name on the side, to play sets for thousands of adoring fans.
Aoki is not the only successful member of his family. Raised in Newport Beach, CA, his father was famous Japanese wrestler Rocky Aoki, who also founded steakhouse Benihana. His younger half-sister Devon is the model and actress from films that include 2 Fast 2 Furious, DOA: Dead or Alive and Sin City.
I met Aoki in person at a music video shoot, and he definitely had the best Japanese limited edition sneakers in the building. With a bold pair of top quality shoes, you don’t need more than a pair of skinny jeans and a white tee, and maybe a track jacket if you get chilly. (Although most of the time in photographs he’s just wearing boxer briefs or swimming trunks.)
This jet set producer was “looking sexy for New York Fashion Week” on Instagram, and he recently unveiled a new fashion line with outdoor apparel company Neff. Founded by professional snowboarder Shaun Neff in 2002, the Ventura, CA-based designers supply custom gear for snowboarding, surfing and skating. Aoki and Neff collaborated on the production of the new clothes. The “Aokified” t-shirts bear bright, neon patterns of cakes, Aoki’s facial profile, and trippy smiley faces.
The most signature part of the Aoki look has to be his head of derrière-length hair, a look reminiscent of romantic historical dramas and martial arts flicks. To copy the style, invest in some top quality conditioning products for a lustrous shine.
Diplo
Most people recognize the name Diplo from the recent widespread twerking phenomena. Pentz did not invent shaking the booty in a suggestive manner, he merely thought of turning the dancers upside down and leaning them against a wall. Or at least he put it in the music video for his single, “Express Yourself.” Now he can’t stop the thousands of women who send him pictures of their derrière on a weekly basis. From Victoria’s Secret models to Miley Cyrus, twerking has dominated popular culture; it’s now an official word in the Oxford English Dictionary as of August 2013.
But it’s not just the way he seamlessly blends electronic music, reggae and hip hop styling—Diplo was the first electronic musician from the U.S. to diversify terrestrial radio. His radio show “Diplo and Friends” broadcasts in L.A. on Clear Channel’s Alt 98.7 FM, as well as on BBC Radio 1 in the UK.
The producer has been interviewed by GQ on his personal style, and was featured on the cover of Vibe with Azealia Banks. Diplo and his crew from Major Lazer modeled the Moss NY Spring/Summer ‘13 Collection, and he recently kicked off Las Vegas Fashion Week at the Wynn Social as the opening DJ.
The music producer has admitted to a penchant for bespoke suits, and is always wearing one on stage, solo or with his group Major Lazer, reminding us how good a man can look in a three-piece ensemble.
In 2010 he told Ford Models, as they were taking his measurements for a new livery, “I wear a suit every night before a Major Lazer show. I sweat through them. I rip holes in the pants.” That means a lot of new suits and at least one reputable tailor.
Text by Elizabeth de Moya