Although he is most well known for his designs during the 80s, Daniel Day – aka Dapper Dan – still has a strong influence on contemporary fashion. Most recently, his legacy was seen on the catwalk of Gucci’s Cruise 2018 show. A zip-up mink gilet with puffy, oversized vinyl sleeves was nearly identical to a famous design by the Harlem outfitter – according to creative director Alessandro Michele, it was an homage and he would love to collaborate with the Dan in the future.
Dapper Dan’s latest influence will be a little more hands on, as he was yesterday announced as a mentor for the upcoming VFiles SS18 show. The crowdsourced fashion show that celebrates young creatives has previously enlisted Off-White designer Virgil Abloh, Naomi Campbell and legendary make-up artist Pat McGrath to share their knowledge. Last season, Young Thug made headlines when he got up out of his front row seat during the show to adjust one of the models’ looks.
“As hip-hop grew, the rappers got more diverse in style, and I'm seeing that reflection in the upcoming styles in the streets now, which in turn has influenced the bigger brands,” said the legendary designer speaking about the announcement. With years of experience and the sad demise of his business in 1992 following a number of lawsuits, Dapper Dan knows the struggle of trying to make it in a tough industry, making him the perfect mentor.
We hope that VFiles and the Gucci collab we have been promised will mean Dapper Dan gets the fashion redemption he deserves.
Read our feature on Dapper Dan and how he reinvented high fashion for the streets, taken from the Autumn 2014 issue here
