How Jerry Lorenzo Sets Trends With Every “Fear of God” Release
I’ll admit, I was not impressed when Jerry Lorenzo first launched his clothing brand, Fear of God, back in 2013. At the time, I was drawn towards heavily branded streetwear clothing. Jerry’s first collection, which featured minimalistic oversized hoodies, elongated plaid flannels, and drop-crotch sweatpants, simply did not appeal to my high school self. Furthermore, there was no way I could justify paying $500 for a blank grey hoodie.
However, his influence soon extended beyond his clothing brand, starting a fashion movement that ironically opened people’s eyes to thrift stores for outfits.
Near the end of my high school career, my friends and I became intrigued in the growing popularity of thrifting and decided to check out a nearby store. Walking into Goodwill for the first time, I was amazed by the diverse assortment of tees. As I flipped through racks of clothings, I started to understand the hunt that attracted so many people, the possibility of either discovering a gold mine or leaving empty-handed.
The tees I fumbled through, some of them older than me, all had a story to tell. I noticed their distressed looks, faded graphics, and double stitching, which were mirrored in various Fear of God pieces. It was from this very source that Jerry drew inspiration from.
With vintage clothing becoming a prominent trend, more and more people started to gain an understanding and overall appreciation for Jerry’s work. Rather than relying on branding to make his clothing pieces stand out, he differentiated his brand by crafting every piece to his liking, all the way down to the fabric itself.
However, Jerry wasn’t satisfied just making his mark on the streetwear industry: he also embarked on multiple collaborations that changed the way people viewed fashion as a whole. Soon enough, Fear of God turned into a household name in the fashion world.
Dress for Less
Streetwear has long been defined by its materialistic culture, where millennials are desperate to get their hands on the next hottest item. Consumers wait for hours in long queues outside of Supreme, sneaker enthusiasts race to post their latest purchases on social media, and celebrities endorse popular brands to increase their value. This culture is further encouraged by its exclusivity, transforming these items into status symbols.
Jerry’s style offered a contrasting dimension to streetwear, making it accessible to everyone.
Streetwear is a culture that seeps into our everyday lives: it’s not only a huge staple in fashion, but it also organically fuses with hip-hop, sports, and art. Touching the lives of so many people, it should not be exclusive to only those who can afford it. Rather than building the same closets with overpriced brands, people should thrift for cheap secondhand clothing that fosters creativity and unique fashion styles.
Jerry also separates his brand from notable ones such as Supreme and Bape, which thrive on exclusivity. Back in a 2014 GQ interview, Jerry expressed the contrasting direction he was taking Fear of God: “I’ve never wanted to be a brand that relies on logos. There’s nothing cool about that to me.”
Clothing should have value not because of its big bold branding, but because consumers are genuinely attached to the brand. Marketing based upon logos rather than actual design has long been played out. This explains Jerry’s attention to detail: he sources his fabrics exclusively from Italy and Japan, experiments with color dye numerous times before landing on the perfect one, and shapes his pieces to fit how he envisions it on others.
With less of a focus on branding and more on the actual garment itself, Jerry helped streetwear enthusiasts gain a deeper appreciation for his work and the industry as a whole.
Collaboration with Nike
Jerry’s influence became even more far-reaching when he collaborated with big-name brands, with one his most notable being Nike.
Let’s make it clear — this was a huge deal for not only the fashion world but also me. I have been a huge fan of the sportswear giant ever since I was a child. Growing up watching basketball, I have always respected its talent in continually revolutionizing the basketball industry, not only in performance but also style. Every year, they release hundreds of different sneakers that fly off shelves. Now pair that with a streetwear brand like Fear of God, you got me sold.
Jerry is also a huge fan of basketball, meticulously observing the clothes and sneakers that players wore ever since his childhood. As seen above, he drew his inspiration from 80’s and 90’s basketball, where players were seen sporting loose oversized clothing, high shorts, and warm-up jerseys. Therefore, a collaboration with Nike only seemed natural.
This release sprouted yet again another streetwear trend: athleisure. Rather than the conventional tight-fitting clothes, Jerry stressed the importance of dressing comfortably without sacrificing style. After all, streetwear is meant to be walked around in on a day-to-day basis.
Streetwear isn’t always about flashy items, where one piece speaks for the entire outfit. Pairing a minimalistic grey hoodie, fitted sweats, and Nike sneakers is just as stylish.
Collaboration with Ermenegildo Zegna
Jerry’s latest collaboration, this time with Ermenegildo Zegna, again caught the fashion world by storm. This time, he plans to redefine not the lines of streetwear, but the lines of menswear.
A refreshing take on contemporary menswear, this collaboration expands beyond societal norms and opened my eyes to the endless possible combinations when dressing up for any occasion.
Italian luxury fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna has a rich history in high-quality menswear, especially renowned for its tailored suits and luxury leisurewear. Although it operates in a separate realm than Fear of God, the brand shares a similar attention to detail, hand-selecting the color palette and fabrics utilized to craft its clothing pieces. It was through this shared interest that led these two brands to collaborate on creating a new genre of fashion, one that is between suiting and streetwear.
For decades, men’s formal wear has been universal: tight-fitted suits, trousers, and dress shoes. However, like many others, I have found them to be extremely uncomfortable. The unpleasant itchiness led me to wish for an alternative, something that I could wear for an entire day. There is simply no variety when it comes to dressing for a formal event.
Who would have thought that there would be an acceptable way of layering sweats with a blazer? A refreshing take on contemporary menswear, this collaboration expands beyond societal norms and opened my eyes to the endless outfit combinations when dressing up for any occasion.
Fashion trends are made to be broken.
The fast-paced industry has turned into a ruthless competition, one where designers are constantly at war with each other to create the trend that becomes the next big thing.
At the top of the leaderboard is Jerry Lorenzo, who has taught us that creating clothing isn’t as simple as taking a blank T-shirt and slapping a logo on the front. Fabric, color palette, distressing, overall shape: these are all things that give clothing pieces character.
Digging back to his roots for brand inspiration, he continues to disrupt the industry with every single piece he puts out. To question what society even perceives as fashion.
At the end of the day, there’s no such thing as what’s acceptable and what’s not. Especially in this industry, with the right marketing and story-telling, one day’s anomaly can be the next day’s biggest trend.
