The History Of Ralph Lauren’s Relationship with Black Culture

“It ain’t Ralph, though”

Kanye said that in his (now) famous conversation with Sway; He lamented that the fashion industry has a glass ceiling, and to break it, he needed an established brand parter to back his vision.

This is something I talked about a few weeks back when outlining how Hip-hop disrupted the fashion industry. Ye eventually found a backer in Adidas, but in 2013 the path was murkier.

Nevertheless… What did Kanye mean when he said “It ain’t Ralph, though”? (go to the :57 second mark above)

Personally, I think he meant that other rappers started brands on their own but their brands didn’t have the same staying power as Ralph Lauren. It ain’t Ralph. It ain’t Polo.

Polo has a special place in Black culture.

I honestly can’t remember a time where Polo wasn’t in. The style changed over the years too; In the early 2000s everyone rocked the regular polos, but by the time I was in middle school (like 06ish) it was big pony everything. Now? It’s back to the OG small pony Polo’s… I think.

The point is that many clothing brands have come and gone: Ed Hardy, True Religion, Fubu, Sean John, etc. But, Ralph Lauren has never gone out of style. A huge reason for that is that black people won’t let it go. In fact, the recent Morehouse/Spelman collection from Ralph Lauren should be a testament to the brand’s relevance in Black Culture.

While Ralph Lauren is still as relevant as ever in 2022, the story of how it became such a staple dates back to the 80’s in New York with a group called…

THE LO LIFES

YEP. That’s right.

Polo’s initial popularity is due to a bunch of Lo Lifes. Are they bums? Nah.

They’re POLO HEADS.

In the eighties, two street groups in NYC – the United Shoplifters Association and Ralphie’s Kids – joined forces to “boost” (aka steal) Ralph Lauren clothing from the stores to wear and sell on the streets. And though stealing is wrong, the Lo Life theft ring birthed a new sub-culture in fashion.

Here we have a group of kids who took something that wasn’t made for them – a brand about horseback riding, and boating, and all the things you’d never find in Flatbush New York, and turned it into an underground movement dedicated to finding & collecting the most coveted Ralph Lauren pieces and bringing them back to the hood. And once the Lo Life’s brought Polo back to the hood it took off.

Take a look at the mini-doc from Dazed below for more context. It’s wild to see the extent of the Lo Life’s impact.

RAEKWON & THE SNOW BEACH JACKET

Y’all Wu fans or nah?

Bet, me too. Especially because another pivotal moment in Polo lore is connected to none other than Wu-Tang Clan.

In the early 90’s Wu was one fire, and as it grew to worldwide phenomenon different members became standouts in culture. One in particular is the master chef, Raekwon; During Wu’s video for “Can It Be All So Simple” he donned what would become an iconic piece of clothing: a Snow Beach overcoat created by Ralph Lauren.

Rae’s co-sign was a direct result of what had been going on in New York’s street culture — being in tune with the happenings of NY’s street life, he like knew about the the rising popularity of Polo amongst street crews. Wearing it was a symbol that you had money, and respect (because without the respect, somebody would rob you for your Polo Goose).

As Polo’s popularity grew, it was only natural that the most popular crew in Hiphop began to don its clothing. But once Rae put on the Snow Beach coat it marked a new era in fashion for the mainstream, and in Black culture; Polo was now in. for now.

KANYE & THE PINK POLO

“Pink a** Polo with a f**king backpack, But everyone know you brought real rap back” – Yeezus, “I Am a God”

Towards the late ’90s, Polo took a dip in popularity. Other brands that recognized the power of Black consumers, like Tommy Hilfiger and LRG, were now embedding themselves in the Black community via hip-hop. Though Polo was still around, it took a back seat to Tommy and other brands partially because Polo’s founder Ralph Lauren didn’t see the need to ingratiate himself with the Black community in the same way as other brands would.

But in 2003, something miraculous happened that started another wave of Ralph Lauren in the Black community.

A young (and some would say overly-confident) rapper from Chicago by the name of Kanye West was making steam as part of the best hip-hop label at the time Roc-a-fella Records. And though the entire label was made up of street artists, Ye was different.

The thing is, other rappers were stylish, but Ye was a fashionista. While other rappers wore throwback jerseys, Kanye wore Polo – and with that came his signature Pink Polo. With Ye donning the pink Polo and ushering in a new era of rap and fashion Ralph Lauren re-established itself as a premier brand in hip-hop.

Futuristic Swag & Young Dro

Fashion, like most things, has an ebb and flow to it. Every few years, it would seem like Ralph Lauren’s popularity would dip, and something new would take its place.

The thing is, Kanye’s ascension also had some… after-effects.

Ye’s keen fashion sense ushered in a wave of “high fashion” that gave consumers an affinity for Italian fashion houses like Louis Vuitton. This affinity, paired with a new generation of rap music focused on repping affluent overseas brands, forced Ralph Lauren to again take the back seat of other brands.

Ralph Lauren’s popularity was waning again. But what caused the 3rd Polo resurgence of the 2010s then?

Well. It was Atlanta & the Futuristic Swag era (sometimes referred to as the era of black boy, white boy swag).

The champion of that era was none other than Young Dro – a prominent Atlanta rapper on T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records imprint who claims to have spent over 1 million dollars in Polo.

Everywhere you saw Young Dro, he was Polo’d down to the socks. And with him leading the new wave of rap in Atlanta, Ralph Lauren’s myth as the bridge between affluent white upper-class living and kids from the streets was revitalized.

Now Polo was back again. But this time, it was standing shoulder to shoulder with the Italian fashion houses.

But what’s up with Ralph Lauren Today?

In 2022, Ralph Lauren is still going strong.

They recently did a collab with Morehouse & Spelman College (AUC, what up!) – and the collection sold out instantly.

The new collection wasn’t without controversy – some feel as though the pieces contribute to a long line of brands appropriating Black Culture, and others are upset that the brand doesn’t do more in the way of standing by the Black community.

Both sides have merit, but the bottom line is we took Polo and made it hot for better or worse.

Legend has it that resellers online can get you some pieces for the low-ski, and if anything it might be worth seeing if the Lo Lifes can score me a piece.

Until next time.

Peace.