Written by Isaac Yeap
It was the 1980’s, and New York City was not what it was now. The rich & the poor were clearly divided. Drugs & violence ran the town, but despite all that, managed to birth a new underground subculture which we are all very familiar with now, and it’s none other than Hip-Hop. All around NYC’s little alleyways, suburbs, and dodgy towns, it’s not uncommon to see groups of young people gathering around, dancing to enjoy this new ‘thing.’ Legends such as Kool Herc & Grandmaster Flash were pushing the boundaries of music to create what was known as the first ‘beat break’ of Hip-Hop, hence conceiving the first group of individuals we now know as ‘B-Boys’.
Contrary to popular belief that break dancing is literally a type of dance that could make you break something, the term ‘B-Boy’ is an abbreviation of ‘Breaking Boys’, in which these individuals were dancing to the ‘break’ located in a section of a song.
Which brings us to our next point. Streetwear is obsessed with Ralph Lauren, and to understand the level of fanaticism these groups had with the brand, we have to analyse the phases in which B-Boy’s go through in terms of fashion. In the beginning, majority of the B-Boy’s in the projects are dressed in Adidas sweatsuits, Kangol Hats & Sheepskin to flex. The look and feel was heavily influenced by fellow East Coast rapper, Run DMC in his song ‘My Adidas.’
But during the early 80’s, something was brewing amongst the New York City’s elites. A Bronx born Jewish boy named Ralph Lifsitz was making a name for himself by bringing preppy, collegiate style back. NYC was not ready for this, at the age where Europe was deemed as the fashion megahouse, America is still struggling with their own identity & stance in fashion. Ralph brought something entirely fresh, yet close to the heart of all Americans. In short, he’s selling the ‘American Dream’ all over again.
The freshly decked out B-Boys clearly noticed the presence of such a trend brewing in their own home ground & wanted a piece of the pie to belong & live in the American Dream. However, there is one huge roadblock; Polo Ralph Lauren even by standards back then was very expensive & majority of the advertising done is mostly catered to the rich, powerful & white. It never had the other minorities in sight in terms of promoting the ‘American Dream’ style, which was a normal occurrence back then as fashion was predominantly made available to the White Americans only, as racial separation was a norm still.
Little did Ralph knew, his influence is reaching to the projects. So much that it conceived two shoplifting groups solely dedicated to Polo Ralph Lauren: Ralphie’s Kids from Crown Heights and Polo USA (United Shoplifters Association) from Brownsville. These groups will then eventually merge and form what is now known as the ‘Lo-Life’s’. The members of the Lo-Life’s are rappers, and aside from rapping, they have made a name for themselves by going into fancier parts of New York City like Manhattan & Brooklyn to steal some Polo Ralph Lauren from high end department stores such as Bloomingdale’s & Sak’s. Not only do they steal & rock their goods, they also boast how they got it. care, they did not, as they were having a piece of the ‘American Dream’.
To understand why the African American community is so hyped up by getting themselves something or anything Polo Ralph Lauren, it’s crucial to understand the political climate in the U.S. at 1980’s. To own any luxury fashion items, you must be rich or influential, & almost always, white. It was the American Dream to most African American kid back then; it made you feel a million bucks, rich, influential because it’s exclusive & hard to get. Hence the drive to own these items.
To find out more about the Lo Life’s craze with Polo Ralph Lauren check out this comprehensive video titled ‘Horse Power’ done by COMPLEX:
Fast forward to this day & age, Ralph Lauren has become an iconic brand for all selling to everyone across the globe the quintessential American preppy lifestyle. The polos, oxfords, and Polo Bear sweaters are now a staple in many fashionista’s wardrobe. Big celebrities names such as Kanye West can be seen rocking the classic Polo Bear Sweater in his early hey-day’s. Even amongst the big streetwear brands, the preppy style influence is strong, with Supreme & Palace having Oxfords, Fair Isle Sweaters, Mohair Cardigans even down to the shoes like Penny Loafers included in their list of items almost every drop. It’s clear that streetwear, hip-hop & Ralph all learn something from each other directly or indirectly.
Then, the ball dropped. An iconic moment of streetwear mixing up with the fashion big boys along the lines of Louis Vuitton X Supreme. What seemed very much unlikely, has happened when Palace Skateboards collaborated with what they tout as their “most favourite brand in the world.” A showcase of the seemingly clashing, but unified on both ends of the spectrum. Delinquency, vs preppy, melded into one collection. Undoubtedly this is the grandchild, the masterpiece, the perfect harmony over the decades of the mix between streetwear, hip-hop & fashion.
Fashion is a funny thing, and often, its legacy can take a different turn altogether than what was intended, and it should be embraced. It’s what made the culture, and this collaboration represents the pinnacle of two completely different audiences, merged into one. Beautiful.
