Lewi Brown is a motivating guy. It’s the morning of our video shoot for the Samsung Trailblazer series and the NRL-star turned creative director is up early, getting a run in along Sydney’s Clovelly to Bronte coastal track to clear his head before a big day. Later, he brings his mum along to the shoot.
“I was raised with a single mum so I would class myself as a mummy’s boy,” he says with pride. It’s unsurprising, because everything Lewi does is centred around family; whakapapa, or genealogy, is a fundamental part of his Mãori identity. In fact, it’s a big reason why he started his fashion brand, Earls Collection .
The name – Earl – is actually his middle name; one that he shares with his late father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Shortly before announcing his retirement from the NRL in 2018, Lewi lost his father to suicide. “At the funeral, I found out my dad had mental health issues, he was depressed, and he was an alcoholic,” he says.
That day, Lewi also discovered his grandfather and great-grandfather had taken their own lives as well. “The only thing we share in common is the middle name, Earl.” Instantly, the name became loaded with emotion – and Lewi became determined to give it a new legacy.
“I used to hate it, it gave me a bad energy, but my silver lining is I’ve taken this negativity, I’ve grown it, and turned it into something that I feel is so positive,” he says. Samsung Au Samsung Au Samsung Au Samsung Au Samsung Au Foun.
