In terms of influence on ’90s fashion, you can’t get much huger than the Lo Life crew. Formed during the ’80s by Brooklyn crews with a deep appreciation for the power of labels, the movement was officially named Lo Life by Thirstin Howl the 3rd. While best known for its appreciation for Ralph Lauren’s Polo line, members also were fans of Fila, Guess and Puma. To this day, working class, minority neighborhoods maintain a role as arbiters of what is working in fashion, the unofficial stock brokers if you will, of what brands are popping, though Lo Life was the first to receive wide enough acclaim to cross over to mainstream media coverage.
Close to 30 years after the official formation of Lo Life, a book five years in the making, titled Bury Me With the Lo On, is finally available to shed more light on the movement and its members. Limited to 1,500 copies, the book includes archival pictures, recent portraits, and words from Raekwon, Just Blaze, Action Bronson and other key Lo Life players and is now available for purchase here.
The book had its official coming out part at Red Bull Studios on Sunday, July 11th, an event that included a panel, plus archival Polo items. Panel moderation was provided by Steven “Espo” Powers and members included Lo Life founder Thirstin Howl the 3rd, photographer Tom Gould (who along with Howl co-edited the book), Lo Life member Prance Lo, NY Times music writer Jon Caramanica and writer Bonz Malone.
Below are some of our images from covering event: