If you know black 80s and early 90s fashion, you have to know Dapper Dan. The fashion designer, born Daniel Day, was known for running one of the hottest shops in Harlem from 1982 until 1992. He was creating anything you could think of: fashion pieces, furs, leather goods and car interiors to name a few. And while yes, he was counterfeiting the likes of high-end designers such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi to name a few, he was creating art that the brands didn’t and wouldn’t offer. Truth be told, had they collaborated with him in the first place, they would have made more money than they would have lost by refusing to offer the services he did.
Now, 35 years since his shop opened, the NY Times is reporting that Gucci will be supplying Dapper Dan with all those Gs he once had to pirate.
This collaboration comes after the internet came angrily for Gucci earlier this year. During a collection show in May, Alessandro Michele, the creative director of Gucci, sent out a jacket that was basically the same jacket that Dapper Dan had created for Olympian Diane Dixon in 1989. The only difference was the replacement of the Louis Logo for a Gucci one. When it came to light that Dapper Dan knew nothing about this, the internet called for Gucci to be held accountable.
Now, what this has produced is a second-generation Dapper Dan’s that will be sponsored by Gucci. The two will collaborate on a capsule collection that will be produced and sold in Gucci stores worldwide next spring.
Stephen Stoute, the founder and chief executive of the marketing and branding firm Translation, and a facilitator of the partnership between Dan And Gucci commented on the news.
“The thing that’s amazing is, what’s being celebrated today was shut down," he said. “The couture guys were sitting in Italy, in Paris, deciding to shut it down, rather than embrace it. Now we look up in 2017, and Dan is the feature in their global advertising campaign. They’re releasing a collection that’s going to be in all locations around the world. We’re bringing Gucci to Harlem.”
Dapper Dan has also made it clear that he is excited, and believes his supporters will be too.
“I would not submit to any collaboration that wasn’t on this level,” he said. “I think that would be doing a disservice to the culture that I am a part of to accept anything less than what Alessandro has offered me. I think it’s something that the younger people in my community could be very proud of.”
It's amazing that when his shop opened in 1982 he was working underground, and now in 2017, he is partnering with Gucci.
“Let me tell you something,” Dapper Dan said. “What I’m most excited about is being able to work in the open.”
We're so happy excited for this! Dapper Dan is a legend of the culture, and he deserves all the success that's coming his way.
Will you all be supporting this collab? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below.
