WRITING: NATALIE BACOME LAYOUT: EMMA FENDER
HOM BIRTH OF RAP
DAPPER
DA N There is a push and pull relationship between high houses and underground culture. High end designers take cues from subcultures. These designers do not ordinarily credit them, and even turn around and try to shut down the original creators. That is a lot to digest, so let us break it down. Dapper Dan, born Daniel Day, grew up in Harlem, New York. He grew up gambling and in an interview shared advice to “look for a hustle that has a loophole in the law.” At the time that was what he called the “paper game” or gambling. He later found his next loophole in the law: fashion. He invented something fresh that no one had seen before. Dapper Dan emerged with his 125th street shop that began
Modern rap as we know it originated from block parties in the Bronx as a technique used by MC’s who wanted to add some flare to their mixes. The ability to transition from song to song or introducing DJ’s created an opportunity for MC’s to incorporate creative elements such as rhyming in sync with the music. What began as sound to fill radio silence later grew to an expressive art form. as a furs boutique that he grew into a world-famous shop. He would buy luxury hardware from designer handbags and repurpose them onto his pieces. He created custom made-toorder pieces with repurposed designer logos from brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Fendi. This popularized the concept of “logomania”- when logos adorn various unique pieces. Dapper Dan mastered the art of what he called “knock-ups” and rather than copy designer looks, he adopted the logos in creative ways. In an interview with the New York Times, he discussed the connection fashion has with spiritualism and materialism. Growing up, he saw women admire luxury goods like furs and diamonds. He saw the same connection when heavily
branded items became popular. This logo obsession people have is what led him to create one of his most popular pieces, the Louis Vuitton bombers. Through the years, his designs have been worn by Mike Tyson, Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Beyoncé and countless others. Once brands like Fendi and Gucci took notice of their logos being used on Dan’s work, he began to receive cease and desist letters but that did not stop his creative talents. Even while his store was shut down, he continued. 25 years after brands wanted to take Dapper Dan’s designs out of existence, Gucci looked to him for inspiration. The Gucci x Dapper Dan collection came out in 2018 and featured 80’s inspired bomber jackets and an ad campaign with a vintage street style aesthetic.
