Uptown Funk

In 1982, a gambler turned clothier started sampling old-money status symbols, remixing the trademarks of Europe’stop fashion houses for Harlem’s biggest rappers, from Salt-N- Pepa to LL Cool J—even a future Supreme Court justice came knocking. Daniel “Dapper Dan”Day revisits the shop that brought the runway to the street, and the street to the runway.

One day, I was working in the store, sleep-deprived as usual, when Little Man, a hustler who worked for the Harlem boss James “Jack” Jackson, walked in with his girl. Everyone in the place started crowding around her. When I walked over to see what all the commotion was about, the girl held up a small brown leather clutch with a repeating pattern of gold letters—an L overlapping a V.

That was the first time I’d seen a Louis Vuitton up close. It was a beautiful bag made with amazing craftsmanship. I could tell it was expensive. As someone who knew all about leather, I marveled at the stitching and the way the ink rested on the skin. Most of all, I was fascinated by the excitement it was creating among my customers. Immediately, the gears began to turn.

“You excited about a little bag?” I said to Little Man and his girl.

“Imagine if you had a whole jacket.”

There was silence.

“Yo,” said Little Man, his eyes lighting up. “You can do that?” “Hell yeah I can do that,” I told him.

Really, though, I had no idea how I was gonna do that. I was too tired to even realize the extent of what I’d offered.

To make good on my spontaneous promise to Little Man, I threw on my best suit, hopped in my Benz, and rode down to Fifth Avenue, watching the neighborhoods transform within minutes from crumbling buildings and vacant lots to immaculate townhouses and gleaming storefronts. New York fashion was going through a lavish era. Wall Street was booming, and the drug game was booming, ushering in a new period of conspicuous consumption all over the city. Luxury goods were becoming status symbols, and European heritage brands that nobody had ever heard of, like Louis, Fendi, and Gucci, were entering the mainstream.