FEAR OF GOD
BRAND AND FASHION DESIGNER , F
Fear of God, the brand founded by the American designer Jerry Lorenzo Manuel
Fear of God is a luxury streetwear clothing brand founded in 2013 by designer Jerry Lorenzo (1977) in Los Angeles.
The name behind FOG, Jerry Lorenzo Manuel
Jerry Lorenzo Manuel does not have a fashion background, nor did he intend to venture into this world. Born in Sacramento, he travelled from West Palm Beach to Chicago, and then back following his father. A baseball manager at the time. After high school, Lorenzo moved to Los Angeles, where he began studying economics at university.
Jerry Lorenzo, photo by Coley Brown
After graduating, he began working in sports agencies. Mainly, taking care of the marketing and image aspects of Matt Kemp, the star of the Dodgers, Matt Leinart, Dwyane Wade and Donovan McNabb.
During this period, he developed an interest in styling. This was also the period in which Lorenzo distanced himself from faith. Starting the JL Nights project, a clubbing activity that involves numerous protagonists of the American music scene.
The story of Fear of God
Fear of God was born in 2013, coinciding with Lorenzo’s attempts to reconnect with faith. The essence of the brand is contained in a book he read as a child with his parents. “My Utmost for His Highest”, a religious writing by Oswald Chambers. In an interview for Complex, Lorenzo talked about how these readings inspired him in the creation of his brand.
Fear of God
The brand, defined by the designer himself as a luxury streetwear brand. It is the expression of his lifestyle and his aesthetics. Far from the commercial machinations and the seasonality of fashion presentations. Lorenzo’s intention is to convey a message, in addition to the simple product, but without trying to indoctrinate non-believers.
“I have a deep respect for Raf Simons, Ralph Lauren or Rick Owens” he said, “their work of these conceptual designers is similar to mine but I start from the solution. I try to tell a story rather than presenting a simple collection”.
Another highlight for the designer was listening to the rap song Jesus Walks by Kanye West, who recruited him as a designer for his Yeezy Season 1 line in 2013.
The “solution-based” style
The style of the FOG garments is strongly influenced by what Jerry Lorenzo grew up with as a child; there are references to the 80s of the boys of The Breakfast Club, to the 90s with the looks of Kurt Cobain and Allen Iverson. This mix of references translates into plaid flannel shirts with side zips, oversized bomber jackets, baggy shorts with raw hems, striped t-shirts.
The fabrics come from Japan and Italy, and alternate with vintage pieces, creating timeless clothes, easy and comfortable to wear every day, whose luxury is recognized in the price rather than in the aesthetics. The designer calls it solution-oriented style, because anyone could wear these pieces without thinking too much about it. On The Cut the designer explained that “this is not a religious brand”. It is a brand that contains things I love, and God is among them”.
Likewise, he does not like to call himself a designer, but rather a “cultural prototypist”, who brings together different styles, cultural phenomena and images. This trend can also be found in the work of Supreme and Off-White by Virgil Abloh.
The brand’s collaborations
Among the most significant collaborations of Fear of God, there is the one with the Californian brand PacSun and with Justin Bieber, with whom he began working in 2015 for Purpose, his World Tour. The clothes worn by the singer on stage soon hit the shelves thanks to the huge success. Since then, the brand has been followed by many celebrities from the world of entertainment and fashion, including the supermodel Kendall Jenner.
Zegna – Fear of God capsule collection fall 2020
Fear of God’s work has also caught the attention of some pastors, including Rich Wilkerson Jr, who officiated at the wedding of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Wilkerson Jr. quoted the brand in a Complex article stating that its message is that “everyone can be who they are, who can go out there and be what God called them to be”.
Other noteworthy collaborations are those with Vans in 2016 ended in 2017, and the one with Nike started in 2018 and continued in 2019. In 2020, the brand collaborated with Adidas to produce some basketball garments as director of the basketball division and with Ermenegildo Zegna. The collection is created together with the Zegna designer Alessandro Sartori. The autumn 2020 capsule is a combination of American style, Italian tailoring tradition, refinement and contemporary elegance.
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