The first couple times I saw Dapper Dan's work I didn't even know it was his. In fact it wasn't until I saw the film "Fresh Dressed" By Sacha Jenkins that I realized I had been seeing it all along in hip hop culture. The first folks I saw rocking his work were Salt N' Pepa because my dad had the record (Push it 12") and Boogie Down Productions LP By Any Means Necessary. Dan is a fashion innovator and pioneer from Harlem New York, who in the early 80s began to custom tailor, cut, and sew his own pieces. We're talking about pants, bags, hats, jackets, cars even, and what he was doing was not unlike hip hop; he took fabric from established brands like Gucci or Louie Vuitton and cut them to his own style. He began to make clothing for hip hop cats of course, but the underground economists or hustlers out of NY, and once word got around people from all over began to come to his store, which was open 24 hours a day. I would love to see more documentary work done about his achievements, because back then these high class brands did not respect Black youth culture. So, he remixed it and created a self sustaining business. Salute the brother, he is still designing today.
Sources: Fresh Dressed (documentary), Aol, DapperDanOfHarlem.com
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