Fashion
Black In Fashion Spotlight: Looking Back On Dapper Dan's Legacy In Fashion
The pioneering tailor introduced a new wave of luxury in the 1980s.
by Jamila Stewart
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Infusing hip-hop with luxury fashion in the '80s, Daniel Day, aka Dapper Dan, will go down in history as the King of "Knock-Ups." While his original Harlem-based atelier shuttered its doors in 1992 (and was revived decades later, thanks to Gucci), his legacy will be one to remember. Here's why.
Day's story didn't start in fashion. Growing up poor, he dropped out of school and began doing and selling drugs. After an arrest and rehab, a trip to Africa ignited a spark for art and design. A Liberian tailor crafted Day a suit from scratch, inspiring him to occupy a tailoring space back in NYC.
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