Yousef Switches From Trebs to Threads With Latest Fashion Collaboration

A man who wears many (top) hats, Yousef is the ringmaster leading Circus and Circus Recordings. His Circus parties have been taking command of his native Liverpool and beyond for over 10 years now, bringing quality house and techno to thousands of clubbers’ ears. If you’re unfamiliar with Circus Recordings, the track “Bigger Than Prince” should give you an indication of the type of music the label has been pumping out. An Ibiza mainstay since 1998, Yousef’s career exemplifies the type of longevity that people envy.

He’s a producer, DJ, promoter, record label owner, and now, a fashion designer. Yousef’s latest T-shirt collaboration with UK artist Danny O’Connor captures the very colorful essence of Circus and Circus Recordings.

What was the hardest aspect about the shirt to perfect?
Getting people to know it exists! No question about it. I do think, as with all art, sooner or later really strong work becomes visible. Working with Tee Co. (the shirt producers) helped remove quite a few of the typical obstacles in this type of collaboration, as they sourced the garments, managed the printing, sorted the relabeling and did all the other small bits that can be quite time-consuming and hard to perfect.

What were some of the initial concepts and designs?
See below.

Working with an urban fashion outlet was important to go along with Circus’ music. Can you elaborate on this?
The biggest record on Circus Recordings and the biggest seller on our site, “Bigger Than Prince,” really connected the track to fashion. In fact, the track was used in Milan Fashion Week for the lead Gucci show not so long ago. As the club and the record label have grown and developed, so too has the range of T-shirts and tops we have released.

What was it about Danny O’Connor that made you want to work with him?
Circus needed a refresh, and we’re already very well-known for our interesting Circus artwork; so instead of taking recommendations, I posted on Twitter and Facebook looking for a new design artist. Out of the hundreds that responded from all over the world, Danny’s art was head-and-shoulders above the rest. Danny’s images had the character and imagination I like to think Circus has. I was also both amazed and thrilled that Danny happened to be from Liverpool, the birthplace of myself, Circus and Circus Recordings.

How did you come up with the design on the album T-shirt? Whose face is on the other one?
The design on the album T-shirt was a full collaboration with Danny and me. I gave him a full brief of what I was trying to say with my new album In the Process of Eight, and he went to work. I’m extremely happy with the result. The “Face” T-shirt was the first image Circus licensed from Danny and has become the lead image representing our collaboration. It’s a particularly strong image.

What’s next for Circus’ merchandise line?
I would like to expand deeper into the range of images we have used since collaborating with Danny and Tee Co. I’m keen on making a print shirt range, too. I am mindful that we are a club and record label and not a fashion house, but I see the close connection between clubs and fashion daily, so I’m comfortable expanding into that area.

You’ve traveled all over the world. What differences do you notice in the ways people dress in different places?
Honestly, these days, not a huge amount. Of course, there is much more edgy fashion in Italy, Scandinavia, the UK and Germany than, say, India (where I was a few days ago); but overall, people like to dress well the world-over in nightclubs. Personally, I couldn’t care less if someone is in high fashion or a scrappy T-shirt when I’m DJing, as long as they are there for the music.

What’s been the most challenging part about being involved in the scene for so long?
It’s hard to maintain a presence globally. You must work hard making music, running a label, remixing, producing and more to connect with “fans” before you have arrived at your destination. And then you still have to be a great DJ when you get there. Overall, though, the challenge is being a “lifer” in electronic music, to commit to it, and get on with the privilege of doing something you love. A fun job always has its ups and downs, but the ups are much more frequent!

What still gets you excited about electronic music?
Making music really keeps me on my toes, and of course playing brand-new records in a club and watching them go off, there are few better feelings. The excitement of dropping a track and watching a room erupt does not get old!

Where’s one place you haven’t played at yet that you would like to?
Iceland! I’d love to go there. I’ve pretty much done everywhere else, I think.

£1 of every shirt sold is donated to charity. To get yours, head to Tee Co.’s website.

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Follow Circus Recordings on Facebook I Twitter I SoundCloud