Fashion Designer Dan McLean Is Seattle’s Favorite Bootlegger
It’s a problem straight from an early-aughts fashion magazine. You’re desperate for a Juicy Couture necklace—like, everyone at your school has one!—but your parents totally won’t go for it. Do you:
A. Give up—maybe they have a point about not needing expensive jewelry.
B. Resort to begging—your reputation is worth more than your dignity.
C. Take apart your Juicy key chain and turn it into a necklace—resourcefulness is next to coutureliness.
For Dan McLean, the decision was simple. She wore that key chain necklace until the Juicy logo wore off.
Now, the Seattle fashion designer makes money selling pieces born of that formative experience: random thrifted bags adorned with emblems from big fashion houses like Yves Saint Laurent; vintage button-downs cropped and enhanced with a Dior elastic waistband. She calls it “bootleg,” but these garments are a far cry from cheaply made, back-alley


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