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Fashion is an ever-changing industry, requiring constant reinvention, adaptability and innovation to survive and thrive in longevity.
Both retailer Gap and legendary fashion designer and Harlem institution Dapper Dan understand this, having spent decades weathering the highs and lows of the industry. They share a commitment to their core clientele, while adapting for new consumers and advocating for creatives and social justice causes—all of which is evident in the latest DAP GAP collaboration and holiday campaign.
The campaign’s rich imagery and hero film, narrated by Dapper Dan himself, is a love letter to his beloved Harlem and its multihued and multigenerational community of creatives, entrepreneurs and organizers. It was produced in-house and shot by Joshua Kissi, whose work includes a co-directing credit on Beyoncé film Black Is King.
“I am inspired by all of the components that make up Harlem,” Dapper Dan says as the camera pans across the faces and outfits of the DAP GAP-clad cast.
The cast members include fellow Harlemites Melba Wilson, owner of famed eponymous restaurant Melba’s; journalist and Puerto Rican civil rights activist Felipe Luciano; fashion model Alberth Johnson with his infant son, Adonis; culinary creator Chaz Anthony; and Khary Lazarre-White and Jason Warwin, co-founders of The Brotherhood Sister Sol, an organization that works with Harlem youth.
“A breakthrough is when people finally find their space in areas they have never been before, but a breakout is when you take the culture and the people who created it and bring it around the world,” said Dapper Dan in a statement. “When Gap came to me, this partnership signified a breakout for the culture.”
He continued: “This DAP GAP campaign is my love letter to Harlem and my way of continuing to propel our culture and community forward. Gap gave us the global presence that allowed us to have the breakout, and I can’t wait for the next generation to be a part of this movement.”
The campaign dropped on Giving Tuesday (Nov. 28) to coincide with the brand’s donation of $100,000 to The Brotherhood Sister Sol. The limited-edition collection was unveiled at Gap’s Harlem location Dec. 4 and officially launches Dec. 5. It will be available online and in 13 Gap stores across New York; California; Georgia; Washington, D.C.; Texas; and Florida.
