Dapper Dan (born Daniel Day) is a fashion designer from Harlem in New York. He has maintained a presence in the area since his early days when he hustled, designed, and traded in relation to the environment and culture of the Harlem area during the eighties, with its history of a prevalent drug culture, gambling, and gangster style rackets.

He had little help from suppliers and the design industry and relied on learning how to create for himself, and adapted or did what he could with the materials he had. His tailoring style catered to those looking for a bespoke Harlem style and hip-hop inspired design, including sportswear, prints, patches, and embroidery that sometimes included the use of famous brand logos. He slowly became known as a designer and eventually opened a boutique in 1982 on 125th Street, which is a main thoroughfare of the Harlem area.

It was here that he developed production and a style that has been referred to as 'gangster chic' which drew on the styles of the 1920s. Suits, jackets and hats were adapted and styled with brighter colours, exaggerated styles, furs, modern patterns, and additions of printed or embroidered motifs. He also developed a method of successfully printing ink onto leather. His designs still incorporated the brand names of others (such as Gucci, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton) and this finally had consequences as he received more exposure and began to cater for celebrities, athletes, and hip-hop artists such as Public Enemy, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, DJ Rakim, Diane Dixon, and Mike Tyson.

His argument at the time was that he was adding his own style - much as hip-hop artists and pop art borrowed and sampled from existing sources to create something new. He enhanced a design by using well-known iconic logos and symbols, rather than attempting to counterfeit original clothing (he referred to his designs as 'knock-ups' rather than 'knock-offs'). His clothes had a familiar designer look, but were adapted for a particular culture.

Eventually fashion label Fendi sued, and this, along with other copyright issues, saw confiscation of much of his stock. The result was closure of his store in 1992 and he was forced to go back to designing and selling with a lower profile - but this was far from the end of the story.

In 2017 Alessandro Michele of Gucci released a distinctive bomber jacket with puffed sleeves that was almost identical to one of Dan's earlier creations for Olympic track star Diane Dixon. The tables were now turned. The issue created debate and centered on Dapper Dan and recognition for him and his style - a style that represented a mix of mainstream fashion and the design culture of the American, African and immigrant communities that originated in Harlem and surrounding areas.

The production of the Gucci jacket was intended as an homage to eighties style, but had inadvertently underlined that Dan was still around and already providing the right authentic style. Gucci considered this and made a shrewd move to capitalise on the situation - much as they did in 2015 with ex-Olympic snowboarder and Gucci fan, Trevor Andrew, after he created Guccighost - an unauthorised urban art representation of the brand.

The conclusion was a collaboration between Dapper Dan and Gucci. A new and luxurious atelier studio was opened in Harlem offering custom-made garments, embroidered patches, and accessories, where Dan was given the opportunity to showcase his design history and develop his own Dapper Dan designs with all the right Gucci fabrics on-hand.

A lot has changed over the years - Dapper Dan is now exclusive and Harlem has become more developed. Now you can order bespoke clothing created by Dapper Dan with Gucci endorsement, right in the heart of Harlem. The rise of hip-hop, changes to the Harlem area, a lucky break, determination, and sheer persistence has finally pushed Dapper Dan to the top, and he now contributes to a brand he once sampled.

By Matt Sheen August MMXX - See video playlist for references

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