Dapper Dan is finally getting his due — and taking all my money with him. The legendary Harlem designer made a name for himself in the ’80s customizing luxury brands like Gucci, but once the brands starting suing him, he was forced to close his brownstone atelier. Last year, Dan befriended current Gucci designer Alessandro Michele, who helped him reopen his shop. And now the Italian visionary and the hip-hop icon have released a collection together, and I want every piece.
The collection shows Gucci’s commitment to respecting Dapper Dan’s legacy, offering Dan’s aesthetic as filtered through Michele’s love of excess (and his obsession with typography). Taking cues from iconic pieces Dapper Dan made for Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J, and Salt-N-Pepa, the collection features luxurious materials, accentuated logos, and classic Gucci motifs. It’s glitzy, over-the-top, and perfect, from the old-school tracksuits to the fanny packs and bucket hats.
The collection is available online and in Gucci stores. Read on for my favorite pieces.
This would look good with one of the tracksuits below. It would also come in handy for being extra on the beach.
Logo designer T-shirts can feel like an afterthought — a quickie way to sell something moderately affordable — but you can tell some real thought went into this design.
I love that this sweatshirt is unisex and slightly oversized so you can wear it with anything from jeans to skirts.
Do you really need a Gucci jacket with the letters Dapper Dan in gold sequins? Yes, you do.
For the boring people who aren’t into logos, this sweatshirt is still very chic.
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