Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir is written by Daniel R. Day and Mikael Awake. For people who may not know who Dapper Dan is he is most famously known for making custom “designer” pieces for not only the local crowds of dealers and hustlers but having famous clientele that wore his pieces in music videos and interviews that helped propel his name and his work to heights unimaginable.
This memoir is a New York Times Best Seller. After reading it I can see why. The emotions that are conveyed on the pages get to the reader in a great way. It keeps the reader wanting to keep reading the book non stop. This book tells more than the shop that gave him mainstream media attention, but what started it; how and his life that shaped who he is as a person. With the stories that are told, you’d be surprised this was one persons life time.
The memoir begins with him speaking about his very humble beginnings and growing up in Harlem. I really loved this part because you could just feel the love that he had not only for his childhood but for the people that where with him then. He recalls of growing up fast not out of want but out of necessity dropping out of school to start hustling in the streets to survive.
But just because he dropped out of school did not mean he was not smart. He used a lot of mathematics techniques to help have the probabilities on his side and be successful hustling in dice games. With these winnings was were the real love for fashion came for him. He finally had disposable income that he could use to dress himself and more importantly feel better about himself.
He hustled through his teenage years and his young adulthood in various things. Traveled to Africa during a revolutionary period that would leave a lasting impression on him for years to come. As he grew older many things changed about his life, he had children, he got married, his friends, family and community had a drastic change because of violence and drugs in the 70’s & 80’s. But one thing that didn’t waiver was Dan’s undeniable style and his determination.
Starting from selling stolen t-shirts in the back of his trunk to making custom pieces and having his own store front boutique was not an easy feat. He went through many hurdles to get that store and to keep it running as long as he could, till he couldn’t. This once again showed his determination. Being open for 24 hours, yes, 24 hours, for the majority of the stores existence (almost 20 years). Even when the store front came to an end his passion for his creations never stopped he just started traveling with his pieces going from state to state selling and seeing what trends and styles were popular in different cities.
This book really humanizes an iconic streetwear legend. Behind the facade of a mcm upholstered jeep, having famous athlete clients, was really a man with a passion for creating designs that he liked and that the customer liked. One thing he emphasized about his love for clothing was not the aspect of expressing yourself, but how the clothes made you feel. I totally agree with this because the way you feel in an outfit can affect how you feel overall.
The last page of the first chapter gives the reader a very insightful reflection on life, in my opinion; one of many. He starts off by restating that although his family was poor, they had love. And he furthermore states it was the small moments that mattered most. I think that these statements are true and more people should know and apply them to life. Firstly, with love you can make it through many things. Even Dan saw this with his friend who all were in similar situations as him, but did not have the same family support that he did or have the same bond with their family. He saw them struggle because at the end of the day nobody from their family went out of their way to try and help them. Moreover, the small moments do matter the most because most of the time those are the memories that stand out the most to you. Although when they happen they may seem insignificant, a lot of the time they are the most vivid and happy moments remembered.
Hopefully this brief, review of the memoir has peaked your interest enough to get a copy so you can read it yourself. I kept the summary of the book at a very top layer because I did not want to give away any of the good stories in the book because with my reviews I like to cover just the basics of the book. I really want the reader to get the book and see for themselves why I am raving about a book. I left out a lot of the stories and adventures that he experienced and when you read them you will be so surprised by them. They really are something and like I mentioned in the begining you wold be surpirsed this is an account of only one persons life and not multiple peoples. Dapper Dan has been living a life of resilience, whenever he was down he somehow found his way out of it.
This memoir helped me realize a lot of things and I think that it can probaly help others too. It helped showed me that no matter the background that you come from you can still come out on top. No matter what obstacles life throws at you, you can jump those hurdles and become a even better person than before. And most importantly to always believe in yourself and your dreams no matter how long it takes. Dapper Dan didn’t open his store till he was around 38, and he was hustling till he found that the store was something more stable. You don’t have to have your life figured out at a young age to be successful everything takes time. Now he has had two of his pieces in the Museum of Metropolitan Art.
And he has also even collaborated with Gucci for a collection. A brand that he would use to make his own versions of what he thought the house should make for his customers. A very full circle moment.
Here is a link to get your copy of Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir on Amazon
Or you can also check your local library if you don’t want to or can’t buy the book. 🙂 Enjoy !
J’s Journal 