Gucci Accused of Copying Dapper Dan Design

On Monday (May 29), Gucci unveiled its Cruise 2018 collection at the Palatina Gallery in Florence, Italy. The new collection, inspired by antique garments from the 1960s and 1970s, has sparked controversy for all the wrong reasons. A women’s jacket features an extreme likeness to a Dapper Dan original design.

Known in the 1980s and 1990s for creating custom apparel with different high-end fabrics and brands, Dapper Dan influenced a generation of stylists and fashionistas. Regarded as a pioneer in the fashion world, the Harlem native was one of the first stylists to ever work with hip-hop artists, creating custom pieces for the likes of Eric B. and Rakim, LL Cool J, and even sports athletes such as Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr., among others.

The Gucci jacket received plenty of flack online due to its similar look to a Dapper Dan piece. Twitter users were quick to call out Gucci's creative designer, Alessandro Michele, for copying a jacket Dan created back in the days for Olympic medalist Diane Dixon.

While Gucci has yet to comment on the similarities of the jacket, check out the Instagram photo below and give your thoughts on the design in question. Is it inspired by Dapper Dan or a straight copy?

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