His custom pieces repurposed logos from the fashion houses that had overlooked black clientele. Dapper Dan’s Boutique, the legendary Harlem couturier he opened in 1982, kitted out local gamblers and gangsters, then later hip-hop stars and athletes such as Mike Tyson, Bobby Brown and Salt-N-Pepa. It wouldn’t be until decades later that Day would truly make his name. So it came to be that Day was christened “the new Dapper Dan”. Day was just 13, but had revealed himself to be not only a better craps player than his guide, who was the original Dapper Dan, but also a better dresser.
But he remained a cultural fixture, and in one of life's great ironies, built a new chapter in his career in a 2017 partnership with Gucci.I t was a mentor on the gambling circuit in Harlem, New York, who gave Daniel Day the moniker that would make him famous. When the brands and the FBI came after his namesake Harlem store, it seemed like Dap would have to shut down for good. He started dressing gangsters and hustlers, and gained popularity for repurposing the logos of brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Fendi for hip-hop icons. Once a gambling prodigy, Dap briefly went to prison on drug charges, but he came out with a renewed respect for Black culture and sensibilities. He also always makes sure everything goes down in his native Harlem, where Jay met up with him. For over five decades, "Dap" has revolutionized the way hip-hop and fashion have influenced each other, dressing the likes of Eric B. Jay Williams talks to legendary fashion designer, Dapper Dan. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, or get sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more with a subscription to The Limits+.
This is adapted from the latest episode of The Limits with Jay Williams. Photo illustration by Estefania Mitre/NPR
This week, Dap talks about the wisdom he imparts on Harlem youth today.
#DAPPER DAN PLUS#
For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus at /thelimits. He tells Jay how Harlem has evolved, how he's managed to always look forward, and who he sees as this generation's successor to his vision. At 77, Dap thinks like a historian, relating everything he has made to the musical and cultural movements of the time. But he remained a cultural fixture, and in one of life's great ironies, built a new chapter in his career in a 2017 partnership with Gucci. When the FBI came after his namesake Harlem store, it seemed like Dap would have to shut down for good.
He started dressing gangsters and hustlers, and gained popularity for repurposing the logos of brands like Gucci for hip-hop icons. Dapper Dan on Harlem, Gucci and hip-hop : The Limits with Jay Williams On today's episode of The Limits, Jay talks to legendary fashion designer, Dapper Dan.
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