Vision Expo East today announces that fashion innovator and author Dapper Dan will headline Vision Expo’s EYE2EYE educational Series. The series, which launched at Vision Expo East in 2019, features a line-up of modern luminaries, creatives and industry trail-blazers providing exclusive insights on topics to inform, empower and challenge attendees. Dapper Dan will share his incredible story at The Bridge with moderator Lilliana Vazquez, host of “E! News” and “Pop of the Morning,” on Friday, March 27 from 5 p.m.–6 p.m. with a Q&A to follow.
With his eponymous store on 125th Street in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, Dapper Dan pioneered luxury streetwear in the early 1980s, co-opting luxury branding to design original garments with high-end detail and luxurious materials like leathers and furs. Attracting a high-profile clientele, Dapper Dan’s career took off and he was soon outfitting entertainers and celebrities including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Ashley Graham, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Mike Tyson, Missy Elliot, P. Diddy, Aaliyah, and many more. In 2017, Dapper Dan’s Boutique reopened in partnership with Gucci, reviving the legacy Dapper Dan established in the Harlem community.
Dapper Dan’s striking fashion creations have been honored with displays and exhibitions at The Smithsonian, The Museum at FIT, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Museum of Modern Art, while his story has been featured on platforms including The New York Times, Elle, Vogue, W, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, CNN, and Netflix. Dapper Dan’s memoir, Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem, which details his journey to success from an impoverished childhood and his struggles against crime and drugs, is a New York Times Bestseller.
During his interview at Vision Expo East, Dapper Dan will share the experiences that have been most influential in informing his style and fashion designs. He will detail how he stayed motivated to pursue his dreams as an independent designer, how he has stayed inspired through challenging periods in his life and also shed light on how he continues to fuel his creativity today.
“Dapper Dan is a living legend, not only in the fashion world but as an artist and creative,” said Fran Pennella, event vice president at Reed Exhibitions. “We are honored to provide a platform for Dapper Dan to share his story and know that attendees will be inspired by Dapper Dan’s ups and downs, ultimate successes, and palpable creative energy.”
For more information on the event, click here.
To register for Vision Expo East 2020, visit visionexpoeast.com and be sure to follow along on all of Vision Expo’s social media channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About Vision Expo
Vision Expo East (The River: March 26–29, 2020; Education: March 26–29, 2020; Exhibition: March 27–29, 2020) in New York City and West (Education: September 23–26, 2020; Exhibition: September 24–26, 2020) in Las Vegas are trade-only conferences and exhibitions for eyecare and eyewear presented by co-owners Reed Exhibitions and The Vision Council. Vision Expo is the complete event for ophthalmic professionals, where eyecare meets eyewear, and education, fashion and innovation mingle. In the Vision Expo Exhibit Hall, eyecare providers can discover trends, interact with new technologies and access innovative products and services. The Vision Expo education program is driven by the profession, offering content of the highest quality and relevance to enhance overall patient care. For more information, visit VisionExpo.com and follow Vision Expo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About The Vision Council
Championing better vision for better lives, The Vision Council positions its members for success by promoting growth in the vision care industry through education, advocacy, research, consumer outreach, strategic relationship building and industry forums. Furthermore, through a partnership with Think About Your Eyes, The Vision Council supports consumer education around eyewear and eyecare.
(image courtesy of Random House Books, the publisher of Dapper Dan’s upcoming book Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem. For more information, click here)
