Dapper Dan, born Daniel Day and known to his friends as Dap, built a powerful legacy on the foundation of humility, perseverance, and, above all, candor.

The Harlem native and legend in the streets of Uptown had a habitual flair for fashion and an entrepreneurial mindset to monetize his ideas and turn them into a cultural movement.

The 1980s proved to be his pinnacle. During that decade, he opened his renowned Dapper Dan’s Boutique in Harlem, appealing to a wide-ranging clientele, from the who’s who of street connoisseurs to athletes and hip hop megastars.

The self-taught tailor orchestrated a style that was unique to the street by adding high fashion European monograms to his designs. He was the first, the architect of said look, and everybody who was somebody wanted a Dapper Dan original. The bespoke designs are rare and coveted to this day.

Dap did not achieve success without setbacks. He went underground, away from the fashion spotlight, until his unexpected comeback in 2017 when Gucci’s Alessandro Michele referenced his iconic work.

In 2017, this led to Dap’s collaboration with the Italian powerhouse and, ultimately, the creation of his luxury atelier in Harlem. With this move, Dapper Dan became the first true luxury brand out of Harlem.

In light of Gucci’s recent design misstep, Dap stood firm and held the fashion house accountable, with Gucci executives joining him at a private roundtable meeting in Harlem.

The legend we know as Dapper Dan has finally come full circle. His path to success is epic, and although he is often imitated, he is never duplicated. We salute the originator!

We anxiously await his memoir, Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem, out this July.