With yet another drool-worthy drop of Fear of God x Nike releases having just arrived at a Foot District – including the must-have ‘Black’ Air Fear of God Raid – it’s safe to say that Fear of God is one of the hottest brands in streetwear. But, where did the brand come from? And, more importantly, how did its founder Jerry Lorenzo rise up to become one of the most important figures in modern fashion? Read on and find out!
Jerry Lorenzo – Fear of GodEarly Days
Jerry Lorenzo’s rise to super stardom is a fascinating one. Born ‘Jerry Manuel’ in 1976, as the son of a professional baseball player – and later coach and manager – of the same name, Lorenzo originally set about following in his father’s footsteps. He completed an MBA at Los Angeles’ Loyola Marymount University, before taking on a position with the city’s hometown heroes, the Dodgers. From there, he would go on to join a sports agency in Chicago and saw his future as a sports agent. As we all know, however, that goal didn’t last forever.
By the time Lorenzo hit his 20s, he had developed a keen interest in nightlife and moved back to LA where he developed a reputation for throwing stellar parties, dubbed JL Nights. Not wanting to disgrace the family name or tarnish the good reputation of his father, the Fear of God founder developed his now-famous ‘Lorenzo’ identity as something of a decoy. Obviously, Lorenzo’s career pursuits in LA’s nightlife wouldn’t last forever, but it taught him some important lessons in marketing. Not wanting to plead people to attend his parties, Lorenzo redirected the energy he would spend on promotion into simply making each party as good as it could possibly be, such that people simply wanted to be there. This same thought process later carried over to the very core of Fear of God. Rather than advertise his work through traditional forms, he set out to create clothing of such a high standard that the consumer would want to buy his creations on the merit of his work alone.
Fashion Focused
As Lorenzo transitioned into his 30s, his values and ambitions began to change. He had a keen interest in fashion and, although he lacked any formal training in design, began to experiment his own creations. Having been born to a black father and white mother, Lorenzo would draw upon his mixed-race origins by merging hip hop and grunge styling, creating his signature aesthetic in the process. His process was one of trial and error, but ultimately, as we know now, culminated in success.
In 2012, Lorenzo established Fear of God and, despite his relative inexperience in the fashion industry, it didn’t take long before he found success. Following the release of Fear of God’s debut collection, Kanye West personally reached out to Lorenzo. Kanye was so impressed by Lorenzo’s designs that he invited him to design the merchandise for the Yeezus tour, as well as requesting his input in the creation of the YEEZY clothing line. As a result, Lorenzo’s influence is easily visible in both. Funnily enough, Lorenzo cites Kanye’s early hit ‘Jesus Walks’ – which criticises the suppression of expressions of faith and religious belief within pop culture – as one of the key inspirations in the establishment of Fear of God. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Lorenzo was inspired by his own religious beliefs in selecting his label’s name.
Fear of God x Jay Z
Another high-profile Fear of God fan to emerge early in the brand’s creation was Justin Bieber. Lorenzo worked together with sketch artist Johnny Singer to design a selection of onstage looks for the Purpose tour, united under the theme ‘modernised grunge’. The looks they produced channeled those that dominated the grunge scene in the early 90s, including band tees, plaid pants and even a kilt in a nod to Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose. In addition to Bieber’s onstage outfits, Lorenzo also had a hand in the design of the logo for the tour, explaining its uncanny resemblance to that of Fear of God’s own logo. Adding to his growing list of celebrity admirers, Lorenzo would later partner with JAY-Z in 2017 to create a collection of apparel to tie in with the release of Hov’s album 4:44.
Justin Bieber’s merchandise was designed by Jerry LorenzoJerry Lorenzo, expansion & collaboration
In response to Fear of God’s rising profile, Jerry Lorenzo would expand the brand greatly in 2015 with the introduction of its in-house footwear line and the establishment of FOG: a more-affordable offshoot created together with PacSun. It was around this time that offers to collaborate started streaming in. Lorenzo was invited to create a multi-shoe Vans collection, which he debuted via Instagram in January 2016. The collection was met with widespread acclaim and instant-sellout success on its eventual release, prompting the two to reunite on a slew of additional collabs. The likes of New Era, Warren Lotas and even the MLB would all call on Lorenzo’s talents over the years, but his most groundbreaking collaborative relationship would be formed with Nike.
Whispers of a Fear of God x Nike collab began to circulate towards the end of 2017, although Lorenzo remained ambiguous when questioned on the subject. By April of 2018, rumours of a possible Air Skylon II collaboration had hit news sites, but it wouldn’t be until September of that year, when the first shots of the Air Fear of God 1 dropped, that we would get our first look at exactly what Lorenzo and the Swoosh had been cooking up. Breaking from convention, this collab was entirely new from top to toe – a concept almost unheard of in the realm of collaboration. This new model, which included an all-new Air 180-inspired sole unit, was designed in partnership with the head of Nike Basketball, senior designer Leo Chang. Come December, we would be treated to three flavours of Fear of God, with the Air Fear of God 1, Air Fear of God Shoot Around and slick take on the classic Air Skylon II all hitting retail. Two more models built on the collab’s signature sole unit would follow in 2019 with the debut of the double-strapped Air Fear of God Raid and mid-cut Air Fear of God Moc.
The latest round of Fear of God x Nike collaborations has just arrived at Foot District. The Air Fear of God Raid has returned in ‘Black’, while the Air Fear of God Moc made a comeback in two new colourways: ‘Black’ and ‘Particle Beige’. All designs are available right now, in store and online, but you better act fast. Supplies are strictly limited and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Fingers crossed there’s plenty more Fear of God x Nike collabs to come!