Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir by Daniel R. Day

I received an advance uncorrected paperback proofs copy of Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir by Daniel R. Day through the Goodreads Giveaway program. 

Below is my honest, unbiased review of Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir by Daniel R. Day.

I think Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir by Daniel R. Day is the 8th memoir I've read this year so far... Anyway, I enjoy reading memoirs quite a bit as I enjoy learning about people from all different walks of life whether they are famous or not. I find people to be interesting and feel like each person's life experience has something of relevance to offer to other people/readers.

Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir by Daniel R. Day is an excellent read. Prior to reading Dapper Dan's memoir, I didn't know who he was at all. I enjoyed reading about Dapper Dan's life as it made for interesting reading as he has lived a very colorful life. Dapper Dan is a very smart, creative individual who reinvents himself multiple times and overcomes many obstacles/hardships throughout his life. But he never gives up on himself and always seems to end up landing on his feet. Dapper Dan is the epitome of perseverance and reinvention.

Below is the publisher's summary for Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir by Daniel R. Day from Amazon:

With his now-legendary store on 125th Street in Harlem, Dapper Dan pioneered high-end streetwear in the 1980s, remixing classic luxury-brand logos into his own innovative, glamorous designs. But before he reinvented haute couture, he was a hungry boy with holes in his shoes, a teen who daringly gambled drug dealers out of their money, and a young man in a prison cell who found nourishment in books. In this remarkable memoir, he tells his full story for the first time.

Decade after decade, Dapper Dan discovered creative ways to flourish in a country designed to privilege certain Americans over others. He witnessed, profited from, and despised the rise of two drug epidemics. He invented stunningly bold credit card frauds that took him around the world. He paid neighborhood kids to jog with him in an effort to keep them out of the drug game. And when he turned his attention to fashion, he did so with the energy and curiosity with which he approaches all things: learning how to treat fur himself when no one would sell finished fur coats to a Black man; finding the best dressed hustler in the neighborhood and converting him into a customer; staying open twenty-four hours a day for nine years straight to meet demand; and, finally, emerging as a world-famous designer whose looks went on to define an era, dressing cultural icons including Eric B. and Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, Big Daddy Kane, Mike Tyson, Alpo Martinez, LL Cool J, Jam Master Jay, Diddy, Naomi Campbell, and Jay-Z.

By turns playful, poignant, thrilling, and inspiring, Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem is a high-stakes coming-of-age story spanning more than seventy years and set against the backdrop of an America where, as in the life of its narrator, the only constant is change.

I am giving Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem: A Memoir by Daniel R. Day a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!