Dapper Dan (designer)
Dapper Dan | |
---|---|
![]() Dan during an interview in December 2019 | |
Born | Daniel Day August 8, 1944 New York City, U.S. |
Other names | "Dap" |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1982–present |
Known for | Dapper Dan's Boutique, Dapper Dan's of Harlem |
Daniel R. Day (born August 8, 1944), known as Dapper Dan, is an American fashion designer and
Dan is included in Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020.[4]
Early life
Dan was born in Harlem, New York, in 1944, and he was born at home with his grandmother as a midwife.[5] He grew up on 129th and Lexington Avenue with three brothers and three sisters. His father, Robert, was a civil servant and his mother, Lily, a homemaker.[6] All nine of them lived in a three bedroom apartment.[5] He recalls horses and buggies still on the streets in his early childhood, in the post-World War II days of Manhattan. By age 13, he was a skilled gambler; his success as a gambler helped him finance his first store.[7]
Dapper Dan became tired of the street life after listening to a
In the 1960s, Dan worked for a Harlem newspaper called Forty Acres and a Mule, as he initially wanted to become a writer.
Career
Dapper Dan's Boutique
When Dan returned to New York in 1974, he decided to be a clothier, and first sold shoplifted items out of his car.[6] Dapper Dan's Boutique, located on 125th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues, opened in 1982, and at times was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.[7] Dan approached his designs through personal experience, specifically from his previous jobs. Being a professional gambler taught him that what you wear will influence how people interact with you, so he used this unspoken language in his designs. Dan's previous disciplines are also what prepared him to simultaneously be a creative director and businessman. Additionally, he was an observer and approached his designs from a psychological point of view. When working with a new client, he would ask himself "Who are they?" and "What do they want?" [9]
Dan originally planned to be a clothing
The opening of his store in the early 1980s coincided with the
Though his clothing was often referred to as
Day ventured into
Day's illegal use of logos in his custom-made designs led to counterfeiting raids and litigation, and ultimately the demise of his first store. In 1988, Tyson got into a brawl with
Resurgence
In September 2006 to February 2007 the Museum of the City of New York Fashion, showcased Dapper Dan's samples in an exhibition called Black Styles Now.[11]
Day's career has been revitalized in the 2010s, and he has found mainstream success since 2017.[18] In mid-2017, in a homage to Dapper Dan, Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele designed a jacket based on a well-known Dapper Dan design for Diane Dixon in 1989. The original was a fur-lined jacket with balloon sleeves covered in the Louis Vuitton logo, which Michele replaced with the double-G Gucci logo. Social media reacted when Dixon shared a photo of the Gucci jacket next to her in the original one, with Dixon requesting that Dapper Dan get credit for his original; many believed that Gucci had stolen the Dapper Dan design, especially due to Gucci not stating it to be a homage until after they drew criticism.[6][19] Furthermore, this would lead to Diane Dixon proposing a Gucci and Dapper Dan collaboration.[8] Michelle and Dapper Dan used a subcultural when seeking out inspiration for their collection, to ensure a unique aesthetic.[20]
In 2017, with the support of Michele and Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri, Day and the Italian brand partnered for a line of men's wear.[16][18]
In 2018, Day opened a new atelier on Lenox Avenue in partnership with Gucci, Dapper Dan of Harlem, the first luxury house fashion store in Harlem.[2][21]
In May 2019, Gucci released a limited edition of Dapper Dan's Harlem.[11]
Gucci Garden Gallery in Florence, references Dapper Dan and the infamous jacket.[11]
Dapper Dan is now a board member for reviewing applications for the Gucci Changemakers North America Scholarship program.[11]
In December 2023, Dapper Dan collaborated with American retailer Gap Inc. on a collection.[22]
In popular culture
Dapper Dan has worked with musicians like Bobby Brown, Eric B. & Rakim, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane and Salt-N-Pepa, essentially bridging the gap between hip-hop culture and luxury fashion.[23]
In 2001, Dapper Dan was referenced in a Jay-Z lyric in his song "U Don't Know" from his album The Blueprint.[24] In 2002, he was referenced multiple times in the Alpo Martinez crime film Paid in Full.[13] Additionally in 2019, he was referenced in the poem Dapper Dan Meets Petey Shooting Cee-lo by Willie Perdomo.[25]
In September 2016, prior to the premiere of the Netflix original series Luke Cage, Dapper Dan was featured in part of the "Street Level Hero" digital social video series to discuss Luke Cage, which is set in Harlem.[26] He subsequently appeared in two episodes of the series, one in the first season and one in the second, playing himself.
In November 2017, he appeared in a segment on Conan for Conan O'Brien's stay at the Apollo Theater in which he styled the talk show host.[27]
Day's memoir was published by Random House in 2019. Sony Pictures has already bought the rights to a film adaptation, with comedian Jerrod Carmichael attached as screenwriter and producer.[28] Day will serve as executive producer of the film.[29]
Spanish singer,
In 2019 Dapper Dan was a guest judge on Project Runway for the street wear challenge; Season 17 Episode 5.
Nicki Minaj references Dan in her verse on the Lil Uzi Vert track "Endless Fashion".
Personal life
Dapper Dan's first racial experience was hearing his parents talk about how the structure of white society was affecting them.[8]
Dan has had eight children with seven women: William Long, Daniel Day Jr., Danique Day, Aisha Day, Danielle Day, Malik Day, Tiffany White and Jelani Day, who is the brand manager for his father.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (March 25, 2013). "Harlem Chic". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ a b Safronova, Valeriya (March 20, 2018). "Inside Dapper Dan and Gucci's Harlem Atelier". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ a b Houghton, Edwin Stats (March 5, 2018). "Dapper Dan Talks His Gucci Partnership, Dressing Harlem's Notorious Gangsters, and Getting Busted by Sonia Sotomayor (Exclusive)". GQ. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ "Dapper Dan: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020". Time. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- ^ OCLC 1246171384.[page needed]
- ^ a b c d e Cooper, Barry Michael (June 3, 2017). "The Fashion Outlaw Dapper Dan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Dapper Dan on Gucci, gangsters, and his unstoppable fashion empire". Interview. May 5, 2018. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ from the original on 2024-02-23, retrieved 2022-05-21
- ^ a b c d e Brumfitt, Stuart (September 25, 2014). "Dapper Dan: natural born hustler". Dazed. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ from the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- from the original on 2022-07-10. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ a b c d e Brown, Benedict (September 2017). "Dapper Dan: Harlem's Hip Hop Tailor". The Rake. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- from the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ Complex. Archivedfrom the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ a b c Gallagher, Jacob (May 14, 2018). "Dapper Dan Used to Knock Off Gucci. Now, He's Collaborating With Them". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ "Gucci Enlists Dapper Dan For Its New Campaign". Harper's Bazaar. September 11, 2017. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ a b "How Dapper Dan, Harlem's Tailor, Mainstreamed "Ghetto Couture"". Fast Company. March 1, 2018. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ Schneier, Matthew (May 31, 2017). "Did Gucci Copy 'Dapper Dan'? Or Was It 'Homage'?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ISBN 978-1-350-11517-0. Archivedfrom the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
- ^ Bilmes, Alex (March 10, 2018). "Hip-hop-tailor turned Gucci collaborator Dapper Dan on hustling, Harlem style and how he went from reviled to revered". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ Bateman, Kristen (2023-12-05). "Dapper Dan's Newest Gap Collaboration Is Here—And It's His Biggest One Yet". Vogue. Archived from the original on 2023-12-29. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
- ^ Smith, Sterling (2020-05-01). "The Fusion of Fashion and Rap Music". Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses. Archived from the original on 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ Janssen, Kim (October 17, 2017). "Fashion counterfeiter turned design icon Dapper Dan: Rappers gave me bouncing checks". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ProQuest 2241267847.
- ^ "Watch Hip-Hop Legends Talk the 'Luke Cage' Netflix Series". BET.com. September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ^ Wright, Megh (November 7, 2017). "Conan O'Brien Gets a Harlem Swag Makeover by Dapper Dan". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (March 7, 2018). "Dapper Dan Biopic in the Works From Sony, Jerrod Carmichael (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ Grant, Jasmine (March 7, 2018). "A Dapper Dan Biopic Is in Development". Complex. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.