BROCKTON — A Brockton man needed an outlet to battle his depression. He found art was the best way, which led him to design an edgy clothing brand, Local Lost Boyz.
Devin Ryan, 28, felt a void in his life in 2017 when he created this brand. To the young designer, it was an extension of his mental state and a way to express how he felt inside.
“We’re all a little lost, even if it’s mentally, physically, or emotionally lost,” Ryan said.
During this time, Ryan spent a lot of money on popular urban clothing brands such as Supreme and Bape. But he felt that creating his own brand would be a better use of his money and time.
Once Ryan started designing his first collection, he found a vendor and sold his clothes online. As a result, Local Lost Boyz shipped T-shirts, long T-shirts, windbreakers, hoodies and trucker hats all over Massachusetts.
Some of the art designs are dark and resemble what’s going on in the designer’s mind.
“I have my struggles with mental health, but things do get better. It’s okay to ask for help. Therapy and good people can be beneficial and life-changing,” Ryan said.
Besides designing to cope with mental health issues, Ryan uses music as a big influencer to create art that can speak to the world in ways that words cannot.
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Artists like Kodak Black and Kanye West are some of the heavy hitters in Ryan’s playlist that directly spark his creative talents.
“After stepping away from music management and booking, I wanted to start something of my own and to be able to express myself. Growing up, I bought a lot of sneakers, streetwear and clothing in general,” Ryan said.
What differentiates Local Lost Boyz from other brands is showing a story on a cotton canvas that speaks to different people, especially people who enjoy unconventional art, Ryan said.
Starting a business was difficult at first, mainly because Ryan is an introvert, forcing him to get out of his comfort zone.
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When owning a business, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done on the marketing side, especially putting your brand out there and networking, Ryan said.
Once the pandemic hit, Ryan saw a significant increase in online sales. And Ryan used social media for advertising.
At first, It was a little challenging to inquire about wholesale items from overseas, due to the pandemic, but Ryan did not let this discourage him. Instead, he kept designing and moving forward with his latest collections and got the materials as they were available.
Ryan’s goals are to become a household name similar to brands like Supreme when they first launched, and create one-of-a-kind pieces that customers feel they need to add to their wardrobe.
But Ryan also believes there is no end goal because there will always be art to be made. It’s a lifestyle, he said.
Enterprise staff reporter Alisha Saint-Ciel can be reached by email at stciela@gannett.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @alishaspeakss and Instagram at Alishaatv. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.
