- Justin Bieber's official tour DJ, Taylor Austen James, just launched a line of merch
- FEMAIL talks to him about his inspiration behind the collection, being friends with the 'Love Yourself' singer, and more
Band tees are not only fashionable, they're the perfect concert souvenir.
But what about after a night of dancing your heart out at the club to the tunes of an excellent DJ? Enter Taylor Austen James, a.k.a. Justin Bieber's official tour DJ.
A few days ago, DJ Tay James launched a concept line of clothing for his own brand, We Know The DJ, in collaboration with Diamond Supply Co.
New threads: DJ Tay James (left), a.k.a. Justin Bieber's official tour DJ, just launched a concept line of hoodies, caps and tees
Taylor considers his made in the USA collection as DJ merch, just like any other band memorabilia one can purchase at an arena or music venue.
The easy to wear line consists of hoodies, long-sleeve t-shirts, hats and tees, that say things like Celebrity DJ, Party Starter and World Tour (featuring the names of uncommon tour stops like the Greek Islands) with a diamond turntable graphic.
Even if disc jockeying is not your paid profession, 'anyone can be one,' says Taylor. 'The DJ is the new artist, you make a playlist on Spotify, you're a DJ.'
Wanting to offer apparel that DJ's actually wear, Taylor chose comfortable fabrics and roomy silhouettes. 'I'm just trying to create apparel that represents our time right now.'
Hats off: Justin supports his DJ friend and wears a We Know The DJ 'Celebrity DJ' hat worn backwards on stage
Justin seems to be enjoying the line, too, as he's been spotted wearing it onstage in concert. 'He's always supported me in everything I do,' says Taylor.
The 'Sorry' singer even showed up unannounced and sans security at the line's launch party in Los Angles recently. 'He came by to show some love.'
Showing his support: Justin made a surprise visit at the clothing line's launch party last week sans security
Taylor met Justin eight years ago. 'We just clicked. Two or three months later Justin's first album came out.
'I was there for all of it. Even with the last one, I got co-production on Purpose. 'Life Is Worth Living', 'Trust', 'No Sense', 'All In It', these are songs I was in the studio for and I was heavily involved in. I'm so happy for him.'
Like any friends that inspire one another, 'we feed off of each other,' shares Taylor. 'We're really good friends, but everything starts with the music. I could be listening to something and he's like "what is this, who is this artist" and vice versa.'
'The DJ is like the professional best friend. That's what I've noticed even with my other DJ friends that are with a celeb. They are always kept close. Justin keeps me close and always watches out for me.'
Taylor's line can be found at Diamond Supply Co., an LA-based company that partners with influencers to create collections that are then sold in their brick and mortar store and on their website.
'They're the perfect partner because they already have the brand awareness, he says. 'They're one of the biggest street-wear brands in the world.'
We Know the DJ was the brand Taylor was using for himself, 'but the name is so much bigger than just me, so I now use it to help other DJs.' The We Know the DJ site is a hub, a one-stop-shop that promotes what other artists are working on, their videos, content and services.
Best buds: Like any friends that inspire one another, 'we feed off of each other' says Taylor
Becoming a DJ was Taylor's lifelong dream. After watching a commercial that glorified the job at the age of 12, he didn't see any other career path for himself. He begged his parents for a turntable.
Reluctantly they got him one, but they wanted him to focus on school, as they didn't see DJing as a realistic profession.
In college, Taylor kept his dream alive by working gigs (often unpaid) for the experience and exposure. You may remember seeing him on MTV's My Sweet Sixteen with Little Bow Wow. He also spun for one of Chris Brown's birthday parties.
Though the star wanted to drop out many times, he graduated with a business degree and got a call 2 months after commencement to work with Justin.
What can we say other than "Never Say Never".
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