Just weeks after Gap cut ties with Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), the retailer has unveiled a new collection of hoodies with Harlem-based designer and fashion innovator Dapper Dan. The limited-edition “Dap” hoodies come in three plaid colorways, including yellow, red, green, and a herringbone camel jumper with the “DAP” applique in gold and are available to shop at select Gap stores in the UAE and Kuwait, as of today.
A household name in Harlem, Dapper Dan was known for upcycling luxury fabrics to create custom work for hip-hop stars such as Diddy, LL Cool J, and Missy Elliot, to name a few. With his eponymous boutique, which he opened in the 1980s, Dapper Dan helped popularize the concept of logomania as we know it. In 2018, Gucci designer (at the time) Alessandro Michele teamed up with the 78-year-old on a ready-to-wear collection, shortly after Michele was accused of copying the iconic ‘80s look Dapper Dan created for Olympian Diane Dixon for the brand’s cruise show. To wit: Dapper Dan went from knocking off the Gucci logo throughout the ’80s and ’90s to having Gucci knock off one of his designs on the runway (it’s all water under the bridge now.) Last year, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America Award.
Additionally, GAP and Dapper Dan will also be partnering with Brotherhood Sister Sol, a Harlem non-profit dedicated to educating and training Black and Latinx youth to challenge social inequality and inspire change. Gap will also donate $100,000 to BroSis to further its arts, education and community focus.
This is the third drop of the Dap Gap hoodie, and with the mercury finally dropping in our region, the cozy sweater couldn’t have come at a better time.