How did the Lo-Lifes gang come to dress exclusively in a clothing brand associated with the American high life?

Most gangs have a colour of choice. The LA Bloods wear red, their rivals the Crips wear blue. The reasons are obvious: a colour code helps you identify who is on your side and who is not.

The Lo-Lifes, however, have a brand: Ralph Lauren. Formed in Brooklyn in the late 80s in some of New York's harshest projects, the gang have been religiously collecting Ralph Lauren clothing and wearing it as a uniform ever since.

The vibrant colours and bold designs favoured by the all-American designer during the 80s allowed these young men to clearly and visibly stand out from their peers. Such is the influence the Lo-Lifes had, they are cited as the primary reason why Ralph Lauren began to be championed in hip-hop culture.


Since its inception in 1967, the Ralph Lauren brand has celebrated aspiration and wealth, and this was something the Lo-Lifes – whose name comes from the second syllable of Polo – clearly wanted to convey in their clothing. The brand has, for decades, paid homage to activities enjoyed by the affluent – sailing, skiing and, of course, polo – and despite this being totally at odds with the life of poor black and Latino youths growing up in inner-city New York, the Lo-Lifes embraced everything about Ralph Lauren. They also respected the designer – born Ralph Lifshitz to Jewish immigrant parents in the Bronx – because of his humble beginnings.

The young men did everything in their power to attain as much of the clothing as they could, and treated the streets, clubs and subways of New York in the late 80s and early 90s as their catwalk. There are tales of dozens of Lo-Lifes at a time descending on stores like Macy's and Bloomingdale's and clearing the rails of everything with a Ralph Lauren tag. It was not sufficient just to wear one Ralph Lauren item; Lo-Lifes had to be dressed head-to-toe in the brand.

Photographer Brayden Olson began to document the Lo-Life's fashion obsession after stumbling across their story in Brooklyn recently. He told me a bit about the history of the gang and the intricacies of their Ralph Lauren obsession.

How did you first hear about the Lo-Lifes?
I was at my friend's house in Brooklyn a few months ago and I noticed how much Ralph Lauren clothing his roommate had everywhere and I asked him why. That spiralled into this whole project; he started telling me about his youth and the Lo-Lifes. He started showing me pictures he had from about 10 years ago and I was speechless because the photos were so amazing. This dude was a big tough Puerto Rican guy, too, with tattoos everywhere but he had all these Ralph Lauren bears all over his house. Eventually I was able to meet some of the original dudes and I started photographing them.

Did they elaborate on what it is about Ralph Lauren clothing that they like so much?
I would guess the big graphics and the status that came with the brand may have had something to do with it. The guys I spoke with referred to Ralph Lauren as a genius when it came to designing clothing.


A Lo Life member models the bright yellow rain suit Photograph: Braydon Olson
What was the most extravagant outfit you saw on a member of the gang?
I would have to say the full-body Yellow Rain Suit just because it is completely ridiculous. It's like high-end fishing gear.

Is there an era of Ralph Lauren they favour? Does it have to be vintage or do they keep up with the latest collections each year?
I think they favour the late 80s early 90s because that's when they were really getting down to collect as much gear as they could. I would say that's the most sentimental era for them, plus the pieces that Ralph Lauren was making at that time were completely different than anything coming out now. That era pretty much started 'street fashion'. The newer Ralph Lauren clothes are mainly just the 'horsey' logos and most of these guys really despise that stuff. They might rock it because of their life-long love for Ralph but they don't boast at all about having the newer items.

Why do they despise the 'horsey' stuff? Is it because it isn't showy enough?
It has more or maybe entirely to do with the fact that with that particular design it immediately declares it is new and anyone can get it in almost any store. It's not exclusive in anyway. They might wear it but, like I said, it's not a bragging right or something you would ever show off with a collection. Someone might have 500 'horsey' shirts but they would not consider that apart of their collection.

Did they take you out clothes shopping while you were with them?
No, but I did get to browse some personal collections. They keep most of their items in zip lock bags and plastic protective covers – it's pretty intense. One day when I was shooting it was super hot and they didn't want to wear certain pieces because they were afraid they might sweat and ruin them. I have been getting texts from a few of these guys complaining to me that they ruined some valuable pieces while shooting.

They've been wearing Ralph Lauren since they were in their teens, right? How did they afford to buy it back then?
Everyone I met started collecting the clothes as teens and they acquired it by ANY means necessary. Obviously 'racking' (stealing) was the obvious choice. They made it clear they were not petty thieves either, they had complex plans and carried them out very professionally. They would travel to other nearby states where the stores were not ready for anything like that. One guy even said he used to buy plane tickets to Puerto Rico just to get gear.

Are there other gangs that you know about who dress exclusively in Ralph Lauren?
I know there are Bloods and Crips who broke off from the Lo-Life crew and got more involved with other things that still wear Polo. I met some of them in Brownsville and they explained there are no problems with everyone being in the same place when it comes to the Lo-Life movement.