When I think of Fear of God, the first thing that comes to mind is a white hoodie with a huge print on the back that I bought on the Pacsun website exactly eight years ago. It was from the Los Angeles labelâs budget Essentials line, and between the price of the garment and customs duties, the hoodie cost me just over $100. A small sum, really, considering the status of Jerry Lorenzo’s brand in the reigning âhype cultureâ of the mid-2010s.
Today, a lot has changed: that hype-driven culture has shifted, the author of this article has swapped cities and a few jobs, and above all, Fear of God and its place in global fashion have evolved dramatically. That much is clear the moment I enter the building the brand has chosen to present its latest collection: a soaring deconsecrated church on the outskirts of Milan, so grand and peaceful that it feels like a film set. Jerry Lorenzo is waiting for me, dressed in a long gray coat over a hoodie and sweatpants that fall softly over his shoes. He remains the best possible model for the brand he created in 2013.
âThe idea of the collection is in continuity with what Fear of God has always been about: the balance between being comfortable and relaxed and being elegant and sophisticated,â the designer explains to me as he walks me through the collectionâs looks, which hang on three boards near the spaceâs entrance. âI’ve been working introspectively, looking inward and deep. Obviously, living in these times, surrounded by conflict, makes you want to speak directly. The deeper I delved into the theme of this collection, the more I realized that dressing at that time was not about self-promotion, but about self-preservation.â
