The Breakfast Club - IDKMYDE: Dapper Dan

Episode Date: February 2, 2025

In todays episode of IDKMYDE, Dapper Dan goes from Harlem’s fashion underground to front-row at Gucci shows, proving that if you can’t get into the fashion world, just make it yours—and make them beg you to come back. It’s a tale of hustle, high fashion, and a whole lot of swag.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm so sick of hearing men talk about women's basketball. This is Lexi Brown. And Mariah Rose. And we've got a new podcast, Full Circle. Every Wednesday we're catching you up on what's going on in women's basketball. We've got you with analysis, insight stories, and a little bit of tea. Full Circle is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to Full Circle on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Calling all Yellowstone fans. Let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the official Yellowstone podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights, and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon. Our family legacy is this ranch. And I protect it with my life. Listen to the official Yellowstone podcast now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to My Legacy. I'm Martin Luther King III, and together with my wife, Andrea Waters King and our dear friends, Mark and Craig Kilburger, we explore the personal journeys that shape extraordinary lives. Join us for heartfelt conversations with remarkable guests like David Oyelowo, Mel Robbins, Martin Sheen, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Billy Porter. Listen to My Legacy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is My Legacy. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, Here's the Thing, I spoke with more actors, musicians, policy makers, and so many other fascinating people, like writer and actor Dan Aykroyd. I love writing more than anything. You're left alone.

You know, you do three hours in the morning, you write three hours in the afternoon, go pick up a kid from school, then write at night. And after nine hours, you come out with seven pages and then you're moving on. Listen to Here's the Thing on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. On today's episode of I Didn't Know, Maybe You Didn't Either, I introduce to you Dapper Dan. Now if you're not familiar, Dapper Dan is like the Yoda of fashion, but instead of using a lightsaber, he had a sewing machine. And instead of fighting Darth Vader, he was back in the 80s fighting Gucci and Louis Vuitton and I didn't know. I didn't know, maybe you didn't need. I didn't know, maybe you didn't need. I didn't know, maybe you didn't need. I didn't know, I didn't know, I didn't know.

Now very ignorantly, the very first time I ever heard of Dapper Dan was on a Jay-Z song. He said, wear a G on my chest time I ever heard of Dapper Dan was on a Jay-Z song. He said, wear a G on my chest, I don't need Dapper Dan. I was like, hold on, now who is Jay-Z shouting out? Is this somebody new to the rock? But no, turns out Dapper Dan been famous. See back in the day, Dapper Dan was taking designer fabrics and remixing them into custom pieces for hustlers, rappers, athletes, anybody with that money on.

Luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Fendi, they weren't checking for black folks. They didn't design for the culture, but Dapper Dan, he did. Custom jackets, tracksuits, hats. It didn't matter. He turned rappers, hustlers and athletes into walking billboards. You wanted a Louis Vuitton jacket with Gucci sleeves and Fendi pockets? Well, Dapper Dan had you. He would like the original Dr. Frankenstein of fashion, just putting pieces together.

Except his creations was fresh as hell. Not scary. But it's always a plot twist. See the luxury brands that he was flipping? Started suing him. Shut that man down like he was bootlegging DVDs in the 90s out the trunk of a Cutlass. And I'm like, dang, y'all mad at this black man for making y'all boring ass designs, cool.

And see, Dapper Dan wasn't just making clothes, he was making statements. He was pretty much telling the world, look, if y'all won't let us in the front door of fashion, we'll build our own house of fashion. But in the 90s, them big brands had his Harlem store shut down. Fast forward to now, and them same hating brands

is calling up Dapper Dan like, "'Excuse me, do you mind working with us?' See around 2017, Gucci faced some backlash for a jacket that they had in a 2018 cruise collection. It looked entirely too close to one of Dapper Dan's designs from the 80s. So instead of him just going back and back with the controversy,

Gucci collabed with Dapper Dan to celebrate his legacy. This collab led to him opening up his own luxury studio in Harlem, where he collaborates with Gucci to create custom, one of a kind pieces. Now he can legally blend his signature style with the brand's iconic designs. Designing for celebs and chilling in front rows like he owned the place. Legs crossed, ankles showing. I bet bro walking them Gucci means like, remember me? The dude y'all tried to sue? Yeah, I'm here now. Where's my coffee?

And my money on? So the takeaway is this, be like dapper Dan. Don't wait for nobody to let you in. Kick in the dough, wave in the fo fo. Not literally wave in the fo fo, but kick in that dough, set up shop and then make them call you later. And that's the ultimate glow up. Imagine getting kicked out of a party then years later they paying you to host the party. That's the dapper dan effect baby. And all this time I'm thinking all the artists that have referenced dapper

dan, jay-z, naz, pusher t, currency. I'm thinking dang, hip hop made Dapper Dan a legend. But the reality is Dapper Dan made hip hop look legendary. Them old school rap covers with dudes wearing matching outfits looking like expensive superheroes, that was Dapper Dan. Cause I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. I didn't know. Welcome to My Legacy.

I'm Martin Luther King III, and together with my wife, Andrea Waters King, and our dear friends Mark and Craig Kilburger, we explore the personal journeys that shape extraordinary lives. Join us for heartfelt conversations with remarkable guests like David Oyelowo, Mel Robbins, Martin Sheen, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Billy Porter. Listen to My Legacy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is My Legacy. Calling all Yellowstone fans.

Let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the official Yellowstone podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights, and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon. Our family legacy is this ranch. I protect my life. Listen to the official Yellowstone podcast now on the I Heart radio app Apple podcast or wherever you get your

podcasts. I'm so sick of hearing men talk about women's basketball. This is Lexi Brown. And Mariah Rose. And we've got a new podcast, Full Circle. Every Wednesday, we're catching you up on what's going on in women's basketball. We've got you with analysis, insight stories, and a little bit of tea. Full Circle is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.

Listen to Full Circle on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. We all have a moment that splits us wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment, and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart Women's Sports production on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.