The future designer once won $50,000 playing dice, but it was not without it’s own perils. In fact, his success as a gambler helped him finance his first store. One really interesting Dapper Dan fact is that he became a skilled gambler before even becoming a teenager. In grade school, he picked up the moniker because he would come to school wearing creased jeans and polo shirts, which were an emerging fashion trend at the time. How He Got His Name ‘Dapper Dan’ĭaniel Day began being called Dapper Dan because of the impeccable fashion sense he had at even a young age. While growing up, the designer remembers seeing horses and buggies riding down his street, which was common in post World War II New York. His father worked as a civil servant and his mother was a homemaker. Meager Beginningsĭapper Dan was born as Daniel Day on Augin Harlem, and grew up with three brothers and two sisters. Here are ten interesting facts about Dapper Dan that you should know about. His custom-made luxury fabrics and designs also garnished him his very own memoir and movie, which is currently in production.
Though legal issues had caused him to disappear from the limelight in recent years, the designer has recently made a comeback with a successful partnership with Gucci and a resurgence of top name celebrities wearing his outfits. Since the 1980s, the Harlem designer has catered to the celebrity circuit, primarily being involved in the ever evolving hip hop industry, which lead him to dress the likes of LL Cool J and Fat Joe. Dan has made a great name for himself in the fashion industry.