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Dapper Dan is a legendary figure in Hip Hop fashion, and there's been a rise in interest in his legendary career that's having him make Harlem shine again.

Hip Hop Designer Dapper Dan Wants All His Collaborations To Benefit Harlem Published on:Sep 24, 2021, 5:50 AM by 0 Harlem, NY Dapper Danis one of the most critical unsung figures in Hip Hop fashionand culture. The legendary designer was an outlaw with his creations, deliberately taking designs of luxury brands such as Gucci Fendi and Louis Vuittonand intertwining them with his clothing to create a line of apparel that would define Hip Hop fashion in the late 80s. Before Fendis legal team and then-U.S. Attorney Sonia Sotomayorran his store out of business in 1992, Dapper Dan brought a whole new era of fashion and excellence to Harlem, New York. He got help from some of the biggest names in Hip Hop, such as LL COOL J Eric B & Rakim Big Daddy Kane, Salt-N-Pepa and more, who visited his boutique and brought fanfare to Harlem. Everyone was coming to his shop looking for the custom all-over print design created by the man himself, and thats the same essence that drives his latest collaboration with Pepsi For the start of the new NFL season Dapper Dan and Pepsi teamed up for an exclusive capsule collection celebrating the act of watching all the gridiron games from home. The collaboration comes with a hoodie, a bucket hat, and a lounger, all designed with Dapper Dans trademark style. Pepsi Dapper Dan rarely does collaborations, so for someone or a company to work with him, there has to be a deeper meaning involved. As he tells HipHopDX, he wasnt looking to work with Pepsi. The real question is what makes Pepsi and all these other brands want to work with him. Thats the part we need to be clear on, Dapper Dan told me in the middle of the waiting area of his atelier. Because I stand on this corner, Mark, and Im here in Harlem as a magnet to bring people like Pepsi, and Gucci here, because this is what I saw growing up. I saw powerful people come here. Between the 1940s and the 1960s, Harlem was a melting pot of Black culture frequently visited by some of the most influential people in the city. That vibe was amplified in the 80s when Hip Hop emerged onto the scene and became one of the biggest new movements in the world. For Dan, utilizing the newfound interest in his life and career and teaming up with these new faces will do wonders for Harlem and Black culture. This goes all the way back, Dapper Dan said. I saw all these celebrities, all these companies, and they had to come here to Harlem because this is the best place to get their brand out. So Im trying to bring that back. Im trying to make it possible so Harlem can see what I saw. Dapper Dan MCM and Louis Vuitton matching outfits from the 1980s. Matching Wallabees on their feet. Read more