Craftin': Dapper Dan
Dapper Dan vs. The Fashion Industry
He introduced the hood to designer.
KNOW YOUR CRAFT/ INDUSTRY AND STUDY THE LEADERS WHO MADE/MAKE IT GREAT.
Phase 1, Entry2: Know the leaders
Fashion Mogul: Dapper Dan Edition
Who is Dapper Dan?
Dapper Dan is a known clothing designer, who started his career in Harlem, New York. He was one of the first designers to introduce high-end to the hood and the hip-hop lovers. It may seem crazy to think that at one point high-end brands were hesitant to have their brands worn by people of color because you can't look at a magazine today without a celebrity on the hip-hop scene wearing some fly outfit by a luxurious designer brand. Back in the day, the hip-hop scene was huge but there wasn't much emphasis on what people were wearing; that's when, at the time, " street designers" like Dapper Dan who loved quality fashion began to buy the high-end clothing and SWAGGGGGGG it out. Dapper Dan's renditions of the high-end brands were wanted by all the hip-hop heads, looking better than the original designs from the manufacturers andddd he began to make more money than the original sellers.
Why is Dapper Dan important to me?
Dapper Dan is important to me and fashion history because his idea sent a message to mainstream fashion that just because you won't let us in the industry doesn't mean you won't hear about us. His brand became so much more popular than the original brands that they hit him with so many lawsuits, his small business couldn't survive. Dan was still very successful but no longer had his retail location. The story doesn't end there though in a somewhat strange twist Dapper Dan recently made headlines for a high-end luxury brand ripping off one of his older designs, one of the same designs he was sued for(cover photo of this post).
Dapper Dan's courage, rebelliousness, and "stick it to the man" attitude is #R8tedR.
Enjoy the clips below, Dapper Dan explains his career and so much more!
Dapper Dan talks about how rappers wanted to look like the gangsters, how he was sued by brands like LV, Fendi, etc. He says "I started making the same jackets that they wouldn't sell to me", find out more...With his eponymous store on 125th Street in Harlem, Dapper Dan pioneered streetwear in the early 1980s by co-opting luxury branding from the likes of Louis Vuitton and MCM and designing original menswear with high-end detail-including exquisite leathers, furs, and skins.
A$AP Ferg interviews fashion icon, Harlem legend, and Yo! MTV Raps staple Dapper Dan, whose designs defined '80s and '90s hip-hop fashion. #ASAPMob #StillStriving #DapperDan This interview is courtesy of #MTVNews