Dapper Dan 1988 [Left]  vs Gucci Cruise 2018 [Right]

The Italian fashion house is under fire after showing a jacket that appears to be a replica of the legendary Harlem-based designer's creation. This Monday, Gucci presented its Resort 2018 show in Florence, Italy. During the presentation of Gucci’s 2018 cruise collection, staged in Florence, the message was clear, with T-shirts emblazoned with the term “Guccify Yourself." With a riff on his label’s logo, the Creative director Alessandro Michele’s sought to ‘Guccify,' Gucci’, with a tongue-in-cheek reference to the counterfeit culture rife in the fashion industry.  But in so doing, Michele seems to have copied the copyist, or rather knocked off the Knock off! As social media users were quick to point out similarities between one of Alessandro Michele's jacket designs and a jacket designed by the 80's imitation designer Dapper Dan. 

An interesting turn of events? We could say, that's just fashion's irony for you - or better still an example of how the fashion industry operates as an 'circular world reversed.' (Phipps-Rufus 2017). 

The New York Times asked the question: 'Did Gucci Copy ‘Dapper Dan’? Or Was It ‘Homage’?' In my mind, if a designer wants to call something a homage, they need to not only be public about the era they are referencing from, but also (as in Michele's case) who the reference is taken from.

Gucci responded to claims that it knocked off - Dapper Dan by updating it's instagram post (after the media outcry) in which it made sure to credit Dapper Dan -  with an image followed by the following caption:

"Inside the #GucciCruise18 collection by #AlessandroMichele, a look that celebrates an iconic style of hip-hop fashion culture from the 80s – a plush jacket featuring puffy sleeves monogrammed in GG motif. Legendary tailor Dapper Dan @dapperdanharlem influenced the trend by making such custom pieces for his rapper and athlete clients out of logos from famous fashion houses, including #Gucci. In [an] homage to Dapper Dan, this jacket worn with jeans and a lurex headpiece is flanked with a striped knit with cross-stitch embroidery, cotton shorts and a georgette gown with trompe l'oeil details."

(part 2 analysis here)