Dapper Dan returns, teams up with Gucci

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Seated in the front row of Gucci's Milan fashion show this month, Daniel Day, also known as Dapper Dan or Dap, mingled with some of the most powerful fashion executives as he prepares to launch a collaboration with the heritage brand. But just a few decades ago, the biggest names in fashion were not his fans.

Having made a name for himself in Harlem, Day started selling high-end clothing at his eponymous shop, focusing on exotic materials, like the ostrich skin accenting an ultrasuede suit. And soon after, he began focusing on designs covered in the logos of some of the most iconic brands like Louis Vuitton and, yes, Gucci.

Even though major brands went after Dapper Dan for copyright infringement, to Dap these designs were not knockoffs. He calls them "knock-ups."

Soon enough mainstream designers took note of Dapper Dan's innovative all-over use of logos, called logomania.

Then, in 1992, Dap closed up shop and all but disappeared from the public eye for decades. But his influence continued to reign strong, and then this happened ---

Some on social media noticed a distinct similarity between a design that Dapper Dan had created for Olympian Diane Dixon in the 1980s and a new design that hit the Gucci runway this year. Well, Gucci acknowledged the source of its inspiration and they're now in business with Dapper Dan, getting ready to launch a capsule collection with him around the world.  But for Dan, all of his success is driven by one objective.