Fear of God is an independent American luxury fashion label, founded in 2013 in Los Angeles by Jerry Lorenzo. Crafting timeless, wearable garments, the brand’s distinct interpretation of the American expression has become an emblem of contemporary culture. Paying homage to the unique heritage with a contemplated and sophisticated fusion through high-grade materials and fine craftsmanship.
Many years ago, the designer Jerry Lorenzo was in Paris when he was introduced to the buyers at Barneys, the now bankrupt, then essential retailer. At the time, Lorenzo had just begun working on a clothing line he was calling Fear of God, but he didn’t yet know much about how fashion houses and aspiring fashion houses operated, which is on a rigid, seasonal calendar: men’s and women’s collections, released only at a few agreed-upon times a year. When he met the folks at Barneys, he eagerly offered to show them the clothes he’d created, only to find out that he’d missed his window: “They’re like, ‘Well, it’s not our buying calendar, currently, but we can meet you in New York in like a week or so if you just want to come show it to us.’ ” A courtesy meeting, in other words.
Lorenzo wasn’t yet sure if what he was doing could be considered fashion design, but after Paris he flew to New York and showed his collection to the department store anyway. What were the rules, the norms, the right way to do things? “I had no idea,” Lorenzo recalled. But he believed in the clothes, which channeled the disheveled suburban chic of The Breakfast Club and Kurt Cobain and Lorenzo’s own nomadic American childhood, and as it turned out, so did Barneys. The store made an exception to its own seasonal rule and, despite what they’d told Lorenzo in Paris about how things were done, bought the collection on the spot. “I had the faith from that moment on that I didn’t need to play this game,” Lorenzo said.
Why Everyone Is Obsessed With This Incredibly Basic Tracksuit?
“ When you’re wearing Fear of God, you’re sharing in that personal vision.”
Justin Bieber, Tommy Fury and Zara McDermott are all fans. Why is this Fear of God ESSENTIALS outfit everywhere?
What would you class as essential retail? A supermarket maybe? Perhaps a pharmacy? How about a full trackie that’ll set you back nearly 150 quid?
Over the past few weeks, there’s a strong chance your Instagram has been inundated with people wearing cream, charcoal or putty brown joggers and oversized hoodies, with the word “ESSENTIALS” stamped on the front in bold, block lettering.
Made in Chelsea’s viral whinger Zara McDermott has got hers, so has Love Island’s loveable meathead Tommy Fury. And if you’re a follower of London streetwear account @ stepcorrectuk stepcorrectuk – which has 240,000 followers – you’ll be familiar with the sudden craze surrounding this monotonous loungewear. This stripped-back attire is a product of Fear of God ESSENTIALS. Launched back in 2018, it’s a diffusion label that simplifies Fear of God mainline staples at more affordable price points. Founded by Jerry Lorenzo in 2013, Fear of God has quickly become a cult streetwear brand, known for its minimal branding, neutral hues and collaborations with Vans and Nike. ESSENTIALS shares the pillars of the FOG main label’s design vocabulary – think sweats, fleeces and puffas in muted colours and easy-going shapes – just now made accessible to the wider public, at a fifth of the price of FOG.
Think it all looks a bit boring? Well, not according to the 1.9 million posts tagging #fearofgod on Instagram, the majority of which are hypebeasts trying to look in their ESSENTIALS getup.
The very plain tracksuit has been splitting opinions online due to the fact that it a very plain tracksuit that will also leave your wallet considerably lighter. zip stands at £90. But on resale sites like Grailed, the prices are skyrocketing, with a black pull-over that Justin Bieber also happens to own currently going for $300 – despite the fact it looks like you’d find it buried in
“Jerry Lorenzo mate you can’t just take the tracksuit of the trenches & sell it back to the trenches for quadruple the price brother,” wrote rapper and producer Faze Miyake on Twitter, while TikTok user @PokuBanks warned against getting yourself into debt by buying into the brand just because influencers on the gram are flaunting theirs.
So what’s all the fuss?
Well in the land of hypebeasts, Jerry Lorenzo is David Bowie and Luka Sabbat (who also models ESSENTIALS collections) – a “drip gawd” (that’s someone who’s given godly status for being able to afford to dress in head-to-toe designer gear). Fear of God is at the forefront of a particular strand of streetwear that places itself at a luxury price point – first brought into the fashion consciousness when Louis Vuitton collaborated with Supreme in 2017, when the retail price of a t-shirt was approximately £342.
In a similar vein, last year Fear of God teamed up with high-end Milanese label Ermenegildo Zegna – where hoodies cost a steep £620 – and Lorenzo prides himself on his brand’s use of luxury fabrics, such as organic cotton and 100% nylon sourced from Japan and Italy.
Christopher Morency, the editorial director of Highsnobiety, says Fear of God is a pioneer of “silent streetwear” alongside the likes of Kanye West’s Yeezy and sustainable label Pangaia.
the back corner of an
YOUTH HELDEN TRADITION
ISOLATION
MACHINE
FRICTION
NATURE
COMMUNITY
FUTURE
ARCHAEOLOGY
OVERVIEW
Founded in 2012, Fear of God is Jerry Lorenzo’s first foray into the world of fashion. His debut project made a splash to say the least. The label has captured the hearts of LA’s A-listers by balancing streetwear and sportswear sensibilities with premium materials more akin to those seen on runways than hardwood courts.
Since Beginning Fear of God, Lorenzo’s fashion CV has grown to encompass projects with Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Nike to name a few. Each of these projects carries Fear of God’s signature dusty, muted colour schemes, memorable text logos and accompanying hysteria.
Fear of God really doesn’t have one particular mission. It makes more sense to view this label from an artistic perspective. Each collection sees Jerry Lorenzo explore a subcultural world, the early collections taking us on journeys through 90s Britain, American anticulture and even suburbia.
THE INSPIRATION
Every season returns with a new inspiration, but many things stay the same. Jerry Lorenzo is unashamedly proud of his Californian roots which means that every collection is imbued with a sense of sun-drenched Bohemia in the form of relaxed cuts and dusty colour schemes. Silhouettes feel nicely familiar, but are reinvented using eye-catching materials and memorable detailing.
