Dapper Dan...why he didn't want my business

On the cover of Sneaker Freaker magazine last December was Dapper Dan. This was the man who unknowingly sparked a multi-million dollar industry! I say this because his custom designs using fake Gucci (and other high-end logos) were ahead of their time. And now every couture fashion house has a diffusion range targeting the urban trendsetter looking for a bit of swagger in their weekend gear.

For me, Dapper Dan is the store (not the man, as I never met him) who wouldn't take my business. I went to 125th Street in Harlem on a hot summer's day in 1988. The first time, I was told the store wasn't open. The second time wasn't much better. It seemed like Dapper Dan was busy enough without foreigners wanting some garms. Or may be, they thought I was a fashion lawyer looking to sue their butts!? ;)

After reading this Sneaker Freaker article penned by Woody, I guess I was suspected of being one of the Chinatown counterfeiters. Wait, isn't that amazing...A fake outfit from Harlem is then sent to China via Canal St. to be faked again and imported back by the boatload?! No wonder the Feds were onto Dapper Dan. The Chinese ruined his game! ;)

Here's the link to the Sneaker Freaker article - or you can scroll below. The video referenced by Woody has a great quote that captures the style of the era: "The stuff I did for Floyd (Mayweather) [holds up boxing shorts] is ostrich and mink, that's Royal black Africanism that hits the city..." Dapper Dan.

"From his eponymous store on E 125th in Harlem, Dapper Dan (real name Daniel Day) presided over a remarkable fashion emporium in the 80s and 90s. His uptown clientele was a heady mix of hustlers, street cats and hip hop royalty, all of whom shared a mutual love of what Dap himself called a ‘macho type of ethnic ghetto clothing’. That’s Harlem shorthand for streetified-luxury, a glorious melange of status symbols such as mink, ostrich, crocodile and python married with his own trademark ‘reappropriatons’ of Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Fendi yardage. 

LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Salt ‘n’ Pepa, Run DMC, Fat Boys and Public Enemy publicly repped Dapper Dan hard and his fame quickly spread beyond the local hood. Peep Eric B and Rakim’s Follow the Leader and Paid in Full for classic Dapper Dan outfits in full effect. Mike Tyson famously punched out opponent Mitch Green in front of the store whilst on his way to pick up the classic ‘Don’t Believe the Hype’ jacket. The place became notorious. 

Fast forward. A few years back I scored a pair of sneakers that were purportedly made by the hand of Dapper Dan. At the time I thought I’d struck solid gold, right up until I was overcome by a niggling lack of proof. Could they be counterfeit Dapper Dan? The thought made me laugh. The shoes were well made and looked right as far as the era went, but all I had was a few random Google crumbs to piece together the story. Without any solid evidence of Dapper Dan tricking-out New Balances, they were reluctantly retired to the Sneaker Freaker archive. I had a feeling I’d finally get to hear their story one day. The only problem was that Dapper Dan hadn’t done an interview for 20 years. The trail was cold. Until now. 

Earlier this year Jay-Z’s Life+Times YouTube channel popped up with a brilliant interview to kick-off the launch of Dap’s new site, dapperdanofharlem.com. 
Still a natty dresser, hip hop’s original gentleman was back in the limelight and loving it. Charismatic and ice cool as ever, Dap swapped stories with his good friend Pee Wee Kirkland as they reminisced about Harlem and the good old days.

It’s a contradiction, but Dapper Dan is one of street couture’s most influential and most mythical characters. 20 years of flying way below the radar might have dulled his stature amongst young folk who barely recall the previous day’s blog roll, but it has also bestowed an enigmatic, almost grandfatherly imprint upon his stage name. Judging by the recent hashtag trail, he is once again being name-checked and courted by the new school of New York street aristocracy. 

Dapper Dan changed fashion forever. In fact, his legacy runs deeper now than it did even at the height of his outré fame. Intimidated and threatened by the implications of hip hop’s glowing admiration in the 80s, the European fashion houses now actively court the affection of Pharrell and Jay-Z. The same brands that once tried to put him out of business now owe him a monumental debt. Kanye’s love affair with Louis Vuitton is just one example of how interconnected 
the two worlds have become. 

And those New Balances I bought years ago? Turns out they are Dapper Dan. Happy days. Enjoy the Dapper Dan interview. 

SF: How did you get started in the fashion industry?
DD: I’ve always liked dressing and fashion, but I’m a guy from the street who didn’t want to be in the street, so I decided since I knew all the hustlers in Harlem that I would open up a store. In the beginning I was buying brands then I discovered that some companies wouldn’t sell to me. So I decided to teach myself how to produce garments. After that I learned different techniques and how to do things that nobody else was doing and that’s what took me over the top. 

SF: How do you describe the Dapper Dan style?
DD: I would attribute my success to making sure I was never defined. I would do what you would call personal collaborations. I’d tell a person what’s possible and how we can just mix it up. I never wanted to do like Cross Colors did or Karl Kani; being boxed in and noted for just one thing. I wanted everything separate from everything else. Each customer had their own idea and that’s what kept me around and generated excitement for so long. 

SF: What’s your take on Harlem style right now?
DD: Right now it’s a bit challenged. We got our style from the older guys on the corner, but now, what’s happening is the younger set are influencing the older guys. They still want the things that Harlem always liked. Alligators and lizards and minks and things like that. That’s always a mainstay here, always popular, but the younger guys are experimenting, pretty much with that skateboard look, like Pharrell and Kanye. 

SF: Were you a hip hop fan or was it just fashion?
DD: Well, you know what? A funny thing about my generation is we consider ourselves the first hip hop guys. They say hip hop started in the Bronx, but we were already doing it in Harlem. We would have house parties and somebody would come along and start MCing to get the party all pumped up, making up rhymes to go with the music. I would consider myself a hip-hop fan right away, especially with the exciting things the Fat Boys was doing and Jam Master J. 

The Fat Boys wearing LV x Dapper Dan

SF: It must have been cool to have those personalities coming in your store all the time.
DD: Oh, yeah, it was great. My nephews and nieces who I had working around the store were very excited. 

SF: You mentioned mink and crocodile. Your reputation was founded on the way you adopted symbols from luxury brands and brought them into Harlem.
DD: Well, you know, it was actually all about the bags. When Louis Vuitton bags was out and the little clutches, it was a status symbol. To give them more status you got to give them more of the symbols. So I said, you know what, maybe I’ll just make jackets and vests and pants and boots. Eventually that led to me doing car interiors and tyre covers for their Jeeps. But it was all about status.

Gucci x Dapper Dan spare tire cover by Dapper Dan

SF: I was always curious whether you saw any political significance in the way you used those symbols?
DD: More importantly, I actually saw it as a challenge because I was shut out. I never thought that I would be accepted and I wanted to make a statement that I could do it. And on a street level, I wanted to make a statement that I could do the same thing that they’re doing, but even better, and it would be more attractive to my ethnic group and to the inner city people. It was also an opportunity to thumb my nose at those big houses that wouldn’t sell to me anyway, you know? 

SF: You got into a little legal tangle with those brands eventually though.
DD: Yeah. They sued me, so I had to start all over again. I was getting too much publicity with Mike Tyson and all the rappers naming me in all the songs, so that’s why I went underground. 

Iron Mike Tyson with Dapper Dan jacket

SF: Did you see Kanye’s shoes for Louis Vuitton?
DD: Yeah, I saw the red sneakers. I’ve been trying to follow him closely and I’m excited about what he’s been able to do. I hope I had something to do with him being able to be where he is today, as far as fashion’s concerned. 

SF: I’d say you definitely did. Now I wanted to ask you about sneakers. It’s probably the 
least well-known element of the Dapper Dan story. How did you get started in footwear? Was it a customer’s idea?
DD: In Harlem, we always wanted our shoes to match our jackets. So even in the very beginning, I got requests from guys to do sneakers. And if you look on the Fat Boys album cover for Crushin’ they got Gucci jackets on and the Nike sneakers with the Gucci on it. 

After that everybody wanted either their boots or their sneakers to match their jackets. Even the hustler who popularised it the most – Alberto Martinez, better known as Alpo, one of the main characters in the movie Paid In Full – had the espadrilles that matched his jacket. So, it’s a thing I always did because it increased the sale of the jackets. It had to be a top and bottom hit, you understand what I’m saying? 

SF: You gave those brands a different kind of fame, a street credibility. They obviously didn’t see any value in what you’d done for them.
DD: They didn’t. They really, truly didn’t. They didn’t wake up until the other brands started seeing the impact of urban wear and how hip hop took it around the world. I’m happy for that and I’m happy for what’s going on now with Kanye and Pharrell working with the big houses that would not take me on early on, you know? 

SF: I do! What did you think when brands started to appear like Troop.
DD: You know what? Troop did not have the status of Louis, Gucci, or Fendi, so it was never really popular in Harlem. It was popular outside of Harlem because of LL Cool J. Then the word went out that Troop was owned by a supposedly racist company (the KKK) and controversy erupted. When my shop was open, nobody was interested in Troop. It wasn’t rich enough and it didn’t send out the type of signal that my clientele wanted. 

Dapper Dan and L.L. Cool J

SF: I always saw Troop as a mutant imitation of that luxury look, and I know LL Cool J was a customer, so I had to ask. Now, I bought a pair of New Balance 572s two years ago, and they were sold to me as Dapper Dan customs. I have never shown anyone these shoes. Did you make them?
DD: Yeah, yeah, I did! New Balances was popular and I used to wear New Balances to jog in. New Balances was popular among a certain group of guys who wanted to break away from the norm. So yeah, we did a lot of New Balances for customers. 

SF: That’s funny, I’d have never associated NB with Dapper Dan til I bought them, but I’m glad they’re not a copy. How physically involved would you have been in making these?
DD: Oh, I made them! We would buy the shoes or the customer would bring them in and I figured out how to cover them in fabric. I got a special kind of glue and I would take that glue, cut a pattern out to fit that sneaker and then we would glue it on. Then, to ensure that it would never come apart, I used the sewing machine to tack the fabric on. That worked out great. 

SF: This pair is from 1991 but it still looks in remarkable condition and I’m sure I could still wear them now. Your technique held up.
DD: Yeah, we took our time. The special glue we used is the glue that was developed especially for the leather business. We were very successful at doing that.

SF: I also wanted to know where you got the fabric from. Is that something you actually had made? 
DD: Originally we were getting the fabric by taking bags and garments and cutting them up. But then I came up with a way to print onto leather. And that’s when the business just went through the roof because Louis doesn’t print on real leather, even today I don’t think. So I was printing Louis and Gucci and Fendi on real leather. That was unheard of. And nobody could copy me, because nobody could figure out how I was getting the ink to stick. Even when you look at the interview that I did for Jay-Z’s Life + Times blog, I have a jacket that’s 25 years old and the ink hasn’t faded yet. After that I started embossing leather, way before the major companies were doing it. Now you see Louis Vuitton embossed bags. It was cutting edge. I tried to stay on top of the technical things that could be done with fabrics and stuff like that. 

SF: There’s a massive counterfeit Nike industry in China. They did the same thing you did, using LV prints on Nike Air Force 1s. Did you ever see them?
DD: Yeah I did. Way back, there were these guys from a store in Chinatown in New York that would send people around to buy my jackets, send them to China to be duplicated and then bring them back. One of them even admitted it to me later on that he copied so many things that I did. I was familiar with what they was doing. I had a window, because the Chinese would copy what I was doing. I might make 700 pieces but they would make 70,000 pieces and flood the whole world. 

SF: What happened to all the jackets that you made, especially from that ‘80s period? They must be worth quite a bit now.
DD: Yeah, absolutely. They’re collector’s items. In fact, Bill Gates’ friend got in touch with me about buying some for a hip hop museum. 

SF: Bill Gates from Microsoft?
DD: Yeah, Bill Gates. The billionaire. He put up some money and had someone go around to try and find original pieces that I made. 

SF: Thanks so much for your time. From everyone who’s admired your handiwork but never got to hear your story first hand, it’s been great talking with you. I’m quite chuffed that I have a pair of Dapper Dan New Balances.
DD: Oh look, thank you for the interest you have in me and thank you for getting the story from me about what it was all about and where it came from. So I appreciate everything you guys are doing at Sneaker Freaker!

New York's Graffiti Hall of Fame, 2009...Schizo!

East Harlem is where the graff painters congregate to collaborate and show off their skills. But, the event is still something strictly for painters and their crew. Oddly, it's not a community event even though it's in a school yard...that seems like a step back in the evolution of graffiti. Compare this to the downtown scene at Helenbeck Gallery where artists have embraced the gallery scene (see my other post.)

I read that this Hall of Fame was started in 1980 by community activist Ray Rodriguez along with DJ Kayslay (aka Dez) and Part 1 TDS and has been an annual affair ever since. Martha Cooper said on her blog that the schoolyard has lost its "gritty, urban feel" in recent years. One of her production assistants (there's a new interactive project coming from Martha and Henry Chalfont) said that the Hall of Fame has lost a lot of its momentum since one of the organizers parted ways. After all these years I've still not met Henry Chalfont, but I had a near miss (Maharishi Gallery, London.)

M.J. R.I.P. 1958-2009 When I arrived in New York news of Michael Jackson's death filtered across the city. That breaking news was reflected on the walls of the Hall of Fame. Below, are some pics of the tribute pieces that were painted over the weekend.

Uptown, Downtown I went uptown on Friday when only a few heads were painting and got inside the yard to take a closer look. Then I went again on Saturday and Sunday to see Tat Cru paint, but still no sign of them! All I got was this teasing mural and a couple of thunderstorms!

"I miss the old New York" As I reflect on my first visit I have to say I probably won't go again. The writers want to get up, but some of them don't want to be seen doing it. It's taking the adage "I miss the old New York" to an extreme. The old skool cats (~50 years old) are happy to chat, but the 30+ year olds still think it's the wild west out here. They hate the bloggers, the photographers, the videotographers. Aka me. And if they find out you're not from New York...oh man, get outta here!

Big up to Ink76, Band1 and the man James Top for giving me some camera love.

New York's Graffiti Hall of Fame, 2009...Videos

Here's a post dedicated to the cats I met in Harlem at the Graffiti Hall of Fame. Check back for the videos when I've edited them ;)

Ink76

James Top

Band1

Popmaster Fabel is that me in the Cheech Wizard shirt...word!

B-Boys break!

When I heard about the b-boy battle in the Bronx I charged up there to see how they do in NYC. Hosted by Boston-based Floorlords and their DJs tonight was pure hip-hop...breakbeats, ciphers, and b-boy antics.

What surprised me was that it was a family affair with moms, kids and community groups as well as those who weren't going home without recognition. The b-boys in the house included the French and Japanese who were awesome!

Jay Z goes back to his roots

American Gangster officially opened this weekend. Set in the 70s, it stars Denzel (Washington) as Harlem drug dealer, Frank Lucas, and Russell Crowe as a NYPD Detective, Richie Roberts.

I first heard about these Harlem 'drugglers' during UrbanWorld when Dame Dash talked about the his Harlem drug lord 'heroes'. His words were closing comments for his documentary, Mr. Untouchable. Unlike American Gangster, his film Mr. Untouchable centers on the story of Nicky Barnes another mass-merchant of heroin in Harlem. Barnes isn't overlooked in the Frank Lucas story and is played by Cuba Gooding Jnr.

Jay-Z These drug stories have inspired Jay-Z to has come out from behind his (Island) Def Jam CEO desk to go back into the recording studio. It's called American Gangster, but confusingly, is *not* the soundtrack tothe film. But it is inspired by it. He told Rolling Stone: "The album plays like a cautionary tale, but it's not really true [for me]," Jay confided with a smile at one point. "I really made it [out of the streets]. Al Capone didn't make it. Michael Corleone, Scarface — I'm iller than all them n----s."

Why does Jay-Z make these comparisons? You see, Brooklyn's Marcy Projects is where Jay-Z cut his teeth in the deal-making world before he became CEO. In the early days, if claims are to be believed, Jay-Z was doing deals on the corner selling drugs in Bed-Sty, Brooklyn. He kept writing rhymes and selling mixtapes out the back of his car and then he 'blew up!'....Jay-Z's is a true American Dream - a drugs to riches - and to fame - story.

New York magazine I haven't seen the film yet, but I've read the stories...For an explosive read about Frank Lucas check out this New York magazine article. New York magazine grabs another crazy article exclusive by reuniting Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes. Read it!

New Yawk City, baby! (Part 1)

Ahhhh. This city is full on! I've gone a bit soft from the comfort and relaxed pace of Los Angeles methinks! ;-)

I spent a couple of hours this morning planning my time in NYC after Brittany left for UrbanWorld. She was late as we didn't sleep till 3am because of the opening festival party (with Biz Markie!). I was late into NYC and to sleep because I had a 3-hour delayed flight spent mostly sitting on the runway in both Chicago and NYC! Yuck! I know it's not Delta's fault, but it'll be the last time I go with them. Yesterday they kept me on the phone for over 1 hour to make a simple itinerary change!? Oh, and the mofos charged me $50 for the pleasure!

New York window-shopping
A quick Google search and I had my plan for the day. Lafayette and LES (Lower Eastside) to check out the latest boutiques and pop in of the established ones. Things change. What's 'appened to Prohit? Stackhouse? Over the course of this long weekend I wandered around picking off my list of stores and spotting new ones.

Urbanworld VIBE
I attended a couple of films, but the one I really wanted to see was Mr. Untouchable about Nicky Barnes, the infamous heroin dealer from Harlem and what he did to jail his ally come foe, Guy Fisher. It was pretty good, but not as strong as Cocaine Cowboys that Magnolia Films also released. Damon Dash is one of the producers and he was in the house, but he seemed to like the glamour of the druggling and frowned upon the fact that Barnes broke the 'no snitching' honor code.

Shepard 'OBEY' Fairey
On Saturday night I met Adam at my hotel and we headed to the opening of Shepard 'OBEY' Fairey's new show downtown. I was late, but the show went on till 10pm so it was all good. The art was a commentary on the war mongering going on around the world. His work seemed even more relevant now with its propoganda style.

After a bite to eat in Chelsea Adam and I parted ways and I went to the Urbanworld closing festival party at T-NY club which was pretty hum-drum. Come to think of it, I think the last club I went to in NYC was during the New Music Seminar days in 1989...wow, old man! ;-)

Chillin'
On Sunday, Britt and I moved to Bryant Park hotel which was wonderful compared to Amsterdam Court hotel...yuck. There I managed to catch up with Linden, Elita's sister, who now lives here with her hedge fund husband in the park over brunch. Later on that day after Britt caught a siesta we hit Florent diner (yes Tina, you introduced me to this spot ;-) ) and then went uptown to a bar/cafe at 110th/Amsterdam...home to Columbia Uni folk.

Do or Die Bed-Sty
On Monday came the big move out of Manhattan to Bed-Sty, Brooklyn as Britt had a sub-let arranged for July. That was an enlightening adventure. The Marcy Projects, the run down homes, the people on the stoops and stores with no fresh fruit or veg.

As Britt and I walked around the neighbourhood I spotted a Chinese take-out place...we entered.
Me: "Hi, is this area ok for my friend to come at night to get food?"
Shop-owner: "You know this is Bed-Sty, right?!"
Hahahah! SHIT!

New York's energy is enviable if you can keep the pace and hold your focus. There's so much to do and see that a few days is never enough. But now it's only $350 and 5 hours away it seems more attainable.