Fashion designer Dapper Dan was the inventor of swag before the term even existed and his stamp on the fashion world is about to be etched in stone. The Harlem fly guy is known for pioneering urban street fashion and will be honored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. Dapper Dan, born Daniel Day, will be the first designer to receive the honor without ever having a solo fashion show and is the first Black designer to receive the award.
Dapper Dan made a name for himself in the ’80s, making original custom pieces for hip-hop celebrities from copied designer prints. He ran his store, Dapper Dan’s Boutique, from 1982-92 and has fitted celebrities like Bobby Brown, LL Cool J and Mike Tyson. In 2017, he launched a fashion line with Gucci, with which he opened a second store and atelier, Dapper Dan’s of Harlem, in 2018.
“Isn’t it ironic how the fashion world says that Dapper Dan won the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, without ever having a runway show? The streets of Harlem have been my runway for 35 years. Isn’t that where the major luxury brands got their inspiration from? Maybe logo-mania is an illusion. Thank you Harlem, I love you! Thank you to the CFDA for making me the first black designer to win this lifetime achievement award. Harnessing the Dapper Dan brand to Gucci, mounted it on a global track, now the whole world knows what Harlem always knew, that the Dapper Dan brand is a thoroughbred brand,” the fashion guru posted on Instagram.
The 2021 CFDA Awards will take place on Nov. 10 at New York City’s The Pool Room.
