Trend Analysis and Forecasting

Shedding light on the rapper who introduced rap culture into fashion

Course offered by: UAL (University of the Arts London),London College of Fashion (Course Website)

Course mentor: Amber Seigel

Course description: Hip hop/ rap culture into fashion: DAPER DAN AND GUCCI.

Purpose

To research about the rap culture and most importantly the rapper who initiated the rap culture into high fashion.

First impressions

It intrigued me and I research about rap culture. It is originated in parties in New York during 1970s predominantly by African American. The first name that came up to to my mind was DAPPER DAN known for his defined fashion in “the hood” and celebrity culture. His influence extends far past his defining style when he opened the first couture atelier ever in Harlem and stood up to racial discrimination in the fashion industry.

How it went

Further researching into his life and his contribution I stumbled upon a controversy during mid-2017. In a homage to Dapper Dan, Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele designed a jacket based on a well-known Dapper Dan design for Diane Dixon in 1989. The original design was a fur-lined jacket with balloon sleeves covered in the Louis Vuitton logo, which Michele replaced it with the double-G Gucci logo. Social media reacted when Dixon shared a photo of the Gucci jacket next to her in the original one, with Dixon requesting that Dapper Dan get credit for his original. Many believed that Gucci had stolen the Dapper Dan design, as Gucci was not stating it to be a homage until after they drew criticism and accused Gucci for the same. Later in 2018 for S/S and collection Dapper Dan and Gucci collaborated with refined design and silhouettes keeping the essence intact.