The much anticipated second drop of the Puma x Dapper Dan collaboration comes on the heels of their initial Kith exclusive release in October 2022. The limited five-piece collection combines Puma’s sport heritage with Dapper Dan’s exquisite workmanship in apparel and footwear pieces.
The new Puma x Dapper Dan collection was inspired by the idea of a pre-game runway, with a luxury upcycled aesthetic complemented by knitted materials and allover monogram designs. The collection puts a spin on the classic Clyde sneaker, a T7 tracksuit with Puma x Dap logo mania, two tees and a reversible padded jacket featuring Dap’s powerful depiction of the Puma, rhinestones, and the collaborator’s logo. In true Dapper Dan form, he took inspiration from his Harlem roots for this second drop, reflecting on the importance of expression and what that has looked like for him through the years.
Since the early ‘80s Dap has been a pioneer of design, remixing symbols to create his own signature style. What started as him selling his luxury goods out of the trunk of a car, led to him wrapping cars in his designs for his hip hop clientele, and ultimately opening an atelier that people looked to for the full, Harlem experience.
During this time, in the heart of Harlem, Dap was galvanizing expression through style and design, while others in the community were doing the same with jazz. Dapper Dan quotes that, “I did to fashion what hip hop did to music, what jazz did to music, what we’ve always done to music.” Paying homage to this vibrant time in his community, Dap tapped into jazz and his notable cars for this campaign.
In tandem with the drop of this five-piece capsule, Dapper Dan has redesigned the Puma jet interior with the Puma x Dapper Dan print, accessories with co-branded logos, and materials used in the most recent collaboration. On the continuous growth and evolution of his projects, Dap states, “We came by dog and now we travel by bird,” reminiscing on times when the bus was his main mode of transportation and now his designs are in the sky with the Puma jet.
