Dapper Dan is without doubt one of the most legendary names in style, and the famed designer continues to innovate and keep impressed greater than 4 a long time into his profession. He revolutionized style within the ’80s and ’90s and pioneered logomania, but the Harlem fashion icon continues to be breaking new floor. His newest enterprise is a collaboration with Puma, which is releasing on Oct. 29 on Kith.com and at Kith shops throughout the globe, after first debuting on the label’s New York Style Week present in September.
“Not solely is [inclusivity] the suitable factor to do, but it surely . . . brings extra vitality to a model, so I am glad to see it occurring now. I hope folks understand that’s one thing that may convey us all collectively.”
“Along with being thrilling, Puma has lots of historical past with my neighborhood,” Dapper Dan lately tells POPSUGAR over a Zoom name. “For me to have the ability to do it coming from a style perspective provides a lot extra texture to the tradition.”
The designer describes the four-piece capsule assortment, which contains a specifically designed emblem, as “luxurious meets leisure” fused with ferocious vitality. “I come from an aggressive neighborhood. I am at all times attacking established, iconoclastic concepts and types, so I instructed them the Puma [logo] must be ferocious, in assault mode,” he says.
Dapper Dan additionally needs to destigmatize activewear staples like hoodies, that are criminalized unfairly. “If you take athleisure and this complete sports activities look, and elevate it, it provides it a greater sense of sophistication and elevation and takes away lots of the stigma related to it,” he says. “That is why once I put on athleisure, I wish to put on it with an ascot or silk scarf to indicate folks . . . that this may very well be upstairs, too.”
Whereas the couturier has created a group that may little doubt have followers queuing across the block, the road can be deeply private, because it represents a subject Dapper Dan is captivated with: the democratization of style. “You both develop otherwise you die, and democracy permits [the former],” he says. “So inclusivity and variety is important, in any other case you pit totally different segments of the society in opposition to [others].” He goes on, “Not solely is it the suitable factor to do, but it surely monetizes a model and brings extra vitality to a model, so I am glad to see it occurring now. I hope folks understand that’s one thing that may convey us all collectively.”
Forward of the Oct. 29 assortment coming solely to Kith, Dapper Dan opens up about his relationship with June Ambrose, the longevity of logomania, his dream collaboration, and extra. Maintain scrolling for the total interview.
