jerry lorenzo purpose tour

How Justin Bieber's Fave Designer Turned Rock Tees Into Religious Symbols

The most talked-about feature of Justin Bieber's Purpose World Tour isn't the music, guest appearances or even the performances. His wardrobe of vintage rock tees — re-imagined with modernized details and religious sayings — has enraptured fashion insiders and fans alike. In fact, shoppers lined up in droves to buy his tour merch at the VFiles pop-up shop in Soho. The mastermind behind the Purpose Tour wardrobe, Jerry Lorenzo founded his popular brand Fear of God just three years ago.

Celebrities like Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner and Kanye West turn to the Los Angeles-based line for '90s-inspired staples that fit seamlessly into their everyday wardrobe. Jerry spoke with Teen Vogue about his latest collection, his plans to expand into shoes, womenswear and even furniture, and the one thing fans might be surprised to learn about Justin Bieber.

Click through the slideshow for his interview, and get an exclusive first look at the new Fear of God lookbook, photographed by Lane Stewart (with assistance from Manash Das), styled by Holly Jovenall and starring model Mackenzie Jones.

Teen Vogue: What made you name your line "Fear of God"?

Jerry Lorenzo: I was doing a devotion with my parents. And we were talking about clouds and darkness around the kingdom of heaven. And for the first time, I saw God as this really cool and dark figure — not dark in a devilish or demonic way but dark in the layers and depths of his kingdom. I was moved by that image of Him in my mind. And that image served as the foundation for me to build a clothing line with this dark, grungy aesthetic.

TV: Who is the Fear of God customer?

JL: The Fear of God kid is someone that is sure of themselves, someone who doesn't need a lot of logos and whose fashion is elevated. He likes to communicate through his wardrobe on a high level but with very few words. The details are subtle. The bomber jacket looks standard until you look closer, and realize the shoulders drop and the sleeve has ruching and a back pocket on it. You see the Japanese nylon and the silk liner. It's an elevated design but from far away, it's very approachable and familiar.

TV: We love the phrases on Justin's tour shirts like 'Bigger than Satan' and 'Repent.' How are you able to take those messages — that are very Biblical in nature — and make them cool for a younger generation of believers?

JL: Those shirts are all one-of-a-kind t-shirts. They're vintage tees, like the Marilyn Manson 'Bigger Than Satan' shirt from the '90s, and I just took it and put my logo on it and changed the entire message. Next to Fear of God, the 'Bigger Than Satan' messaging takes on a new meaning. It now stands for 'I am bigger than Satan through God. I am bigger than these obstacles in my life that come against me.' It can be flipped into something positive. I called them 'resurrected rock tees' that once stood for darkness. Now with the Fear of God print, they stand for the light.

TV: Shoes are launching in May. What should fans expect?

JL: We're launching 15 shoes in total this year, including five different variations of our first sneaker, the military sneaker. The military sneaker is 100% handmade in Italy. It's taken a year to complete from conception to hitting the market. We've been through more than one hundred samples of the same shoe to perfect it. The style is exactly what I think has been missing from the market. People are moving away from boots, and toward basketball and high-top sneakers. And the military sneaker is the hybrid of the two that people are looking for.

We're dropping a black pair in May, two new colors in July, and then in September, another two colors will launch. And then we have a really big drop set for October: a shoe with Barneys, a shoe with VFiles, and a couple other retail partners.

TV: I've noticed your clothes are pretty genderless. Both Selena and Justin wore the same plaid shirt recently, for example. Is that something you consider when designing?

JL: When I do start [designing] womenswear, it'll look exactly like menswear. I think girls look cool in mens pieces. And that's one of the reason we used a girl in our last campaign, our fourth collection. She represented the exact girl that I thought would like Fear of God, and would go into her boyfriend's closet and throw on an oversized flannel. She's not so worried about the fit of it; she's more into the vibe. I'm definitely always thinking in the back of my mind: how is this going to fall on a girl?

TV: This shoot feels very '90s grunge. Are the '90s a big source of inspiration for you? What else inspired this shoot?

JL: It's definitely been my inspiration. As we all get older, we'll always look back to those years when we were most impressionable and to me, it was the '90s when I was in high school. All that stuff has always been super cool to me. Fast-forward years later, I'm blessed that the stuff that I thought was cool is popular again so it works on a larger scale now.

For this particular shoot, the inspiration came from so many places. It's gospel music, which is all I heard in my house growing up as a kid. It's the grunge of Pearl Jam and the hip hop style of Allen Iverson with the oversize look. And [my thinking was] how do all these things communicate what I'm trying to say? I want to wear sweats everyday and throw on flannels — and not look like a bum. How do I use all those things that have inspired me throughout my life to propose something specific?

TV: What are some of your favorite pieces from the new range?

JL: My favorite piece is the denim coat. It speaks to exactly who the Fear of God customer is on many different levels. It looks super dope on women and guys so it's genderless. It has this vintage feel so it speaks to grunge. But at the same time, instead of adding the zippers before we washed the denim, we added them after so the jacket has a luxe feel. It's this piece that would look cool on a hipster kid, and on Pusha T, the illest dope boy of all time. It's hood fresh and hipster fresh at the same time.

TV: How did the collaboration with you and Justin Bieber come about for the Purpose Tour wardrobe and tour merch?

JL: Justin has been wearing a lot of my pieces, and he's obviously one of the most photographed people in the world. It wasn't hard for me to see that he liked the brand. His stylist, Karla Welch, was one of the key people who presented the brand to him initially. And she came to me before the tour started and said she'd like to work with me on designing the wardrobe. Karla told me her idea of modernized grunge and it sat exactly with where my brand was at the time. I worked hand-in-hand with her. Justin was able to take our idea, and elevate it beyond what we hoped for, bring his own vibes to it and communicate this new language.

For tour merch, I had this idea of integrating vintage tees and creating new Bieber rock-inspired logos to go on these tees that work with the wardrobe. And I thought it would only make sense for us to have that same language at his merch tables at the show. I presented an overall vibe and feel of what I think his merch should look like next to his onstage wardrobe, and his team was super into it. And it all got rolling from there pretty fast. I've been a collector of vintage band and tour tees forever. I have this knack of knowing what makes those tees cool, and it was really a fun experience to be able to apply all that random knowledge through the lens of Justin's tour merch.

TV: Can you speak to the evolution of tour merch in general?

JL: I feel like people are looking for pieces that speak to who they are versus just what brands they like. They want pieces in their wardrobe that have depth and start conversation, rather than just a t-shirt with a logo. As you walk around with a vintage Metallica t-shirt, it's a conversation starter. Like "Oh, I love that album" or "Oh, I'm thirty-something years old, I was at that concert."

I think it's important to an artist because in a digital age when we don't have physical copies of people's albums, what's that physical, tangible piece that you can give your fans if they don't have a CD in their hand anymore? How do you create these experiences outside of the tour that can add to that feeling you're trying to give someone through your music? Tour merch is becoming that new central product.

TV: You worked closely with Justin Bieber in the process of designing the tour wardrobe and merch. What might fans be surprised to know about him?

JL: I feel like the way social media works in the information age, when we have access to so much information about celebrities and icons, he's exactly who you'd anticipate he would be. He's just extremely honest, super humble and gracious. He's already been through this tough period in his life, and he was able to bring himself out of it. He's very self-aware. He knows who he is and what he's trying to say. You look at his Instagram and he says he's sorry he can't do meet and greets anymore like 'I love you guys but it's wearing me out.' And he's like that in real life, open and honest — and it's not even in a negative way. Honesty is really his greatest asset.

TV: It's pretty courageous to be yourself in the face of pressure and constant criticism.

JL: Exactly. I would never know the weight that he carries. I would never attempt to start a conversation with him and say 'Hey, you shouldn't have done that.' The weight of being Justin Bieber on a daily basis, and the weight of having to perform for 20,000 people every night on tour, I don't know what that's like. I'm not going to pretend to act like I do. When he does something people may not understand, whose place is it to say anything? You just have to trust the process. Based on everything he has access to, he is handling it a thousand times better than the majority of us would. I'm proud to know him, and to be his friend and work with him. I'm inspired by him. That was the message of Purpose . At 21 years-old, he made this album about purpose, and finding your life's calling. And that was so appealing to me as a creator to be next to — that message. And the fact that I've got to know him on top of that has been the icing on the cake.

TV: What's the #1 piece of advice you would give to teens who want to pursue a career in design?

JL: The most important thing is knowing what people want, and making sure you have a unique perspective and an understanding of your consumer. I knew my consumer was looking for a certain t-shirt and hoodie, and I was convicted by that. I just went downtown to L.A. and figured out how to make these pieces. A lot of people know how to make clothes, but it's more important to know what you are trying to say through your gift. You can always figure out the know how but you need to have a point-of-view that sets you apart more than anything.

TV: What's one challenge you faced during your climb to success, and how did you overcome it?

JL: I think the challenges are everyday — from people who know I'm new to the industry and see me as someone they can take advantage of rather than someone they can help, to the daily challenges of receiving 2,000 yards of damaged fabric from Japan when I have to turn in pieces to a retail store in two weeks. There are challenges everyday. If you don't believe in what you're doing, there's way more opportunities to quit than there are to keep going. That's why it's really important to love what you're doing, and to have a desire that exceeds common sense — because common sense would tell you to quit and get a "regular job."

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Fear of God's Jerry Lorenzo pitched in to help Justin Bieber create a 13-piece collection that debuts with PacSun Saturday.

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Justin Bieber is in the midst of the U.K. portion of his Purpose tour but ticketless fans can start buying his commemorative collection starting Saturday.

That’s when his exclusive Purpose Tour – All Access Collection with Bravado and PacSun will be sold exclusively in PacSun stores and on the retailer’s site. The musician worked on the sportswear with Fear of God’s Jerry Lorenzo who has had his own enterprising few months. The 13-piece collection features T-shirts, tanks, hoodies, raglan T-shirts, fleece items, a coach’s jacket and trucker hats. One white T-shirt with red sleeves is imprinted on the front with “MY MAMA DON’T LIKE YOU.” Shoppers will find prices in the $35 to $100 range.

Bieber will be touring in London and Manchester through the end of this month before moving on to concert dates in Ireland early next month. Bieber tweeted to his 88.8 million followers that Selfridges is exclusively selling his Purpose tour merchandise in the U.K.

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Lorenzo could not be reached for comment Tuesday. In advance of this weekend’s launch, Lorenzo posted a few Purpose tour photos of Bieber on Instagram Monday. Bieber also was happy to share the news that he is in line to become one of the top AMA winners if he wins one of his five nominations. He has been nominated for Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, Favorite Male Artist Pop/Rock, Favorite Album Pop/Rock and Favorite Song Pop/Rock.

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The Fear of God designer has also had a busy few weeks. Last week a sampling of the Fear of God x Vans collaboration debuted exclusively and quickly sold out at PacSun’s web site Oct. 5. More diehard shoppers could find pairs of the reissued Vans Era 95 sneakers on eBay for $300.

And last month Lorenzo’s Fear of God teamed with Montreal-based retailer Ssense for a collaborative collection. The Los Angeles-based Lorenzo is planning to add footwear to his Fear of God assortment. This summer Lorenzo added another dimension to his designs, joining forces with Chapel NYC’s Patrick Matamoros for a Chapel of God collaboration.

Should PacSun sell out its Purpose tour memorabilia, Bieber fans may find some consolation in another recent unveiling — Madame Tussauds’ Los Angeles location now has his shirt-free likeness on display.

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Justin Bieber’s Barneys New York Capsule Collection Is Here

Up until now, the only way to get your hands on Justin Bieber ’s coveted Purpose tour merch was to attend a concert or wait in the epically long lines at his limited-run pop-up shops . That’s all about to change thanks to Barneys New York, which will sell an exclusive capsule of the Purpose products, designed by Fear of God’s Jerry Lorenzo .

The range of 31 items spans everything from a cotton tee ($95) to a logo’ed leather jacket ($1,675) and will be available online tomorrow for preorder, arriving in select Barneys stores Monday. Musical merch stocking the shelves of fashion’s high temple of shopping might seem like a huge leap from the Alaïas and Dries Van Notens that make up a bulk of Barneys’s offering, but, in fact, the store was among the first to pick up Kanye West ’s Yeezy collection, carries Lorenzo’s Fear of God label, and has done a menswear capsule with Russell Westbrook. Plus, Bieber’s partnership with Lorenzo and the Vetements sensibility of many of the products—its “Security” branded tees are a ringer for the Parisian brand’s style—give many of the pieces a fashionable feel. The only real concern seasoned Barneys vets might face come Monday is a pack of Beliebers (and plenty of aftermarket sellers too) running up long lines at the registers. Consider yourself warned.

Justin Bieber x Barneys New York will be available online July 16 for preorder and in select Barneys New York stores Monday, July 18.

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Jerry Lorenzo on His Relationship With Justin Bieber & Collaborative Work Involving Fear of God

Fear of god’s jerry lorenzo leads bieber’s fashion train..

There has been a lot of Bieber fever in New York City thanks to the recent pop-up shop located at VFILES . In collaboration with Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God clothing , special pieces have been developed specifically for the pop-up and have been reintroduced from the tour merch. VFILES was able to chop it up with Lorenzo to capture his thoughts on his bond and relationship with Justin. In addition, Jerry also touches upon their communication while developing the pieces as well as gaining inspiration from the likes of Kurt Cobain and Allen Iverson . Check out the video above to hear what Jerry had to say.

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Go Backstage to See Justin Bieber's Custom Wardrobe for His Purpose World Tour

Should you find yourself holding tickets to see Justin Bieber in concert during his Purpose tour, do us a solid and pay attention to whatever he's wearing, 'k? While male artists tend not to generate the same buzz over their looks as the ladies, Justin evidently spent time on the fashion aspect of the production, working alongside stylist Karla Welch and assembling a collection from both established and under-the-radar designers.

"Justin is extremely hands-on when it comes to fashion and was an excellent collaborator when it came to outfitting this tour. Through our work together he's developed such an incredible eye for quality pieces and knows what he likes," Karla said. The onstage looks include five custom ensembles from Jerry Lorenzo's Fear of God and additional pieces from Raf Simons and Supreme (plus Adidas Yeezy kicks). See everything carefully arranged backstage here , including so. much. plaid. and organizing tabs marked, curiously, with heart doodles.

Bieber wearing Fear of God, including pieces that look similar to these sold-out jeans ($895) and this wool overcoat ($1,295)

Similar to what we learned when talking to costume designer Marina Toybina about her experience with Carrie Underwood , future tour cities will see the Biebs putting stuff together in different ways. "We are really pleased with everything, but I can definitely see the looks changing from concert to concert with the way Justin chooses to style them," Welch explained. And while the untrained eye might dismiss the items with a wave ( "what? old concert tees and beat-up denim?" ), rest assured that it's likely all pretty pricey. The Marilyn Manson-accented kilt retails for $695 , while a previous Fear of God Nirvana tee the singer wore cost $1,500. That said, there's good news for Bieber fashion fans: The label is releasing a collection at PacSun starting early next month.

What you won't see making an appearance onstage any time soon? The misspelled concert tees , resulting in some embarrassing publicity and recalled product.

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Justin Bieber proclaims love for God even in his outfit — wearing Fear of God clothes in 'Purpose' world tour

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, who is responsible for such songs as "What Do You Mean?" and "Sorry," seem to be proclaiming his love for God even in his fashion choices, since he got clothing brand Fear of God to design clothes for his "Purpose" world tour.

Jerry Lorenzo, who is the lead designer of Fear of God, created many of Bieber's outfits and merchandise for his singing tour that started this month, according to WWD .

"I saw him on a few occasions," Lorenzo recalled. Bieber really loved his designs because he later told Lorenzo, "Man, my tour is coming up. I really want you to do it."

Some of the things that Lorenzo made for Bieber include "a dozen overcoats in different patterns, six bomber jackets in a variety of colours, kilts and denim jackets embellished with patches." One specific jacket even bore the inscription "Bigger Than Satan."

Lorenzo said he tested new looks in Bieber's "Purpose" tour, such as "punkish pin-striped pants, plaid trousers and tie-dye denim."

"There are new styles that we made for him that I think we will put out in upcoming seasons," Lorenzo said. "I think it maybe is a focus group."

Another item that Bieber modelled during his concert was the brand's new Italian-made sneakers, which won't even be sold to the public until May. The sneakers will cost a whopping $1,200 or more. Lorenzo described it as "a hybrid of a military boot and athletic basketball shoe."

The brand is not new in the music scene, since the brand's clothes have already been sported by other big names in the music and TV industry, such as Big Sean, Kanye West, Gigi Hadid, and Kendall Jenner.

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God's Plan: How Jerry Lorenzo Went From Sports to Nightlife to Fashion's Cult Favorite

Jerry Lorenzo talks about the challenges of launching Fear of God, how Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” inspired him, and what's next for his brand.

When Jerry Lorenzo was young, he and his family read daily devotionals together. His mother owned 30 to 40, but they frequently studied My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, one of the most popular religious hardcovers ever written.

“Reading about the fear of God and the clouds and darkness around His kingdom if you didn’t know Him, but [having] that same fear out of respect and reverence for Him if you did know Him…” Lorenzo explains in his warm, dulcet voice. “That juxtaposition was so awesome to me.”

Years later, My Utmost for His Highest inspired the name of Lorenzo’s clothing brand, Fear of God , which he launched in 2013. “I always wanted to do something around Christianity, but it seemed corny,” the 39-year-old says, sitting in his showroom in a renovated warehouse in downtown L.A on a March afternoon. “But when I read [ My Utmost For His Highest ], I knew I had the foundation and the base to keep me going. It was enough for me to build on. I knew I had a name for the company.”

A devotional book may be an unusual source for fashion creativity, but not for Lorenzo. Everything about Fear of God—the sleeveless flannel with side zips, BMX jersey (inspired by a similar one he found at the Rose Bowl Flea Market), bomber jackets, and military sneakers influenced by religion, hip-hop, grunge, and Allen Iverson —is rooted in who he is and his wildly diverse interests. He listens to Kurt Cobain and the Migos . He inherited a love for vintage from his mother, who often went antique shopping. In his showroom, there’s a smaller room that has brick walls lined with dozens of framed, original rock concert posters he bought from Italian photographer Henry Ruggeri. Even right now, Lorenzo, who has tattoos that snake down both arms, a boxed beard, and cornrows braided evenly across his head, is wearing a vintage Tina Turner T-shirt with random holes that look moth-eaten, white basketball shorts and basketball sneakers from Fear of God’s upcoming fifth collection , gold chains, and a diamond-encrusted cross drop earring that hangs from his left earlobe.

“What you see in Fear of God is an organic carryover of how Jerry dresses on a daily basis,” says  Chris Gibbs , owner of menswear boutique  Union Los Angeles , where Fear of God is sold. “Jerry has a very specific point of view. There’s nothing out there like it. That’s why the brand does extremely well for us.” (Fear of God is one of the top five brands in Union, according to Gibbs.)

"At some point, you have to be about something."

Since launching a capsule of short sleeve side-zip hoodies and extra-long tees , Fear of God—which has been called a streetwear and contemporary brand, though Lorenzo prefers the term luxury or designer—has developed a cult-like following. Its designs are everywhere. Justin Bieber has been photographed wearing Fear of God drawstring trousers while out in L.A. Last year, Kanye West defied the Met Gala’s theme and wore a pair of the brand’s ripped jeans . Retailers like Barneys and RSVP Gallery can hardly keep the product on its shelves. Fast-fashion retailers, like H&M, and other labels have even sold imitations of Fear of God’s designs.

“It bothers me when you take my exact ideas and try to say the same thing I’m trying to say,” says Lorenzo.

That demand has led to collaborations with Vans on sneakers and PacSun on a younger, more affordable line called FOG . Lorenzo even designed Bieber’s Purpose tour merch. “Revenue is consistently more than doubling with each Fear of God collection,” he says.

But unlike most other successful brands, Fear of God doesn’t have a machine behind it. Zero investors. No sales or marketing team. Up until six months ago, Lorenzo and his small team of four employees worked out of his home in Glendale, California. Lorenzo doesn’t follow a fashion calendar, instead releasing collections when he believes they’re ready. He refuses to do a fashion show. “That’s luxury to me,” he says. “Luxury is making your own schedule and being your own boss. It’s like Jay Z said: ‘Until you’re on your own, you can’t be free no matter how much money you’re making.’”

He may want his clothes to be classified as luxury or designer, but he doesn’t like being called a “designer.” “I have a lot of respect for Raf Simons , Ralph Lauren , or Rick Owens , these conceptual designers,” he says. “It’s similar to what I do, but I feel I’m doing it from a place of solution. I’m more so trying to tell a story than design a collection.”

Lorenzo is comfortable being outside of the fashion world. Clothes aren’t his only focus. “At some point, you have to be about something,” he says.

Complex Original

Jerry Lorenzo Manuel didn’t always envision a career in fashion. He was born in Sacramento, but moved around quite a bit—to West Palm Beach and then to Chicago—so he and his family could be with his father Jerry Manuel, a major league baseball player turned minor league coach. His father eventually managed the White Sox and the Mets and is now an analyst for MLB Network, but growing up they didn’t have a lot of money. “We were paycheck to paycheck until I graduated from high school,” Lorenzo says. As a kid, his mom would drive him and his three siblings for 23 hours from West Palm Beach to Montreal every summer to be with his father, who was coaching for the Expos at the time, because they couldn’t afford to buy plane tickets. He remembers being around Major League families, who had millions of dollars, but living in a studio apartment with his parents and siblings for months during training camp.

After college, Lorenzo finished his MBA at Loyola Marymount in L.A. “I always felt like L.A. was a city of opportunity,” says Lorenzo. “So I came out here, was in grad school during the day and worked at Diesel at the Promenade at night.”

His first real jobs were in sports—handling corporate sponsorships for the L.A. Dodgers and later head of player marketing for Chicago-based sports agency CSMG, whose client roster at the time included Dwyane Wade , Matt Leinart, and Donovan McNabb. “I thought I was going to be a sports agent,” he recalls.

But in 2008, Lorenzo moved back to L.A. and started throwing parties he called JL Nights . “There weren’t any parties I could go to to hear hip-hop and see people that dressed like me,” he says. “So we created that.” On any given night, you’d see celebrities like Pusha T or Kid Cudi or brand owners like Don C. “The parties were legendary,” Lorenzo says.

JL Nights eventually took off and became a full-time job. He shuttered the party to focus on Fear of God, but Lorenzo insists he doesn’t miss the parties. “I’m 16 months sober. I have a family. My life is in a different place,” he says. “So much of what I thought was socially important just isn’t important to me anymore.”

Lorenzo says he realized he wanted to make clothes after he started managing former Dodger all-star Matt Kemp , who he began working with in 2008. “I did all of his off-the-field marketing, his endorsements with DIRECTV, Big League Chew, and Beats by Dre,” he says. “I was also doing his styling and helping him with his image.” One day, while shopping for Kemp, he realized that there were plenty of things he wanted for his client that weren’t available.

So, he decided to design them. “I did it for him, but also for me,” he says. “I felt like there was something missing in my closet, and if it was missing in mine then it must be missing from yours, too.”

Without any formal training in fashion, Lorenzo learned the ins and outs of launching a brand on his own. Sometimes, he drove to downtown L.A. and paid someone to help him with his production needs. “I literally knew nothing,” he recalls. “I didn’t know about production, seasons, how to make a pattern. I took all the money I made from the clubs and put it into this conviction.”

He admits the early days of Fear of God were rough. “I got stolen from and taken advantage of,” he says. “I think I lost like $30,000 by people saying I needed to give money up front. People would tell me, ‘I need $10,000 to book this fabric and if you don’t book this fabric then you can’t make your T-shirts.’ There were a thousand instances like that. I even had a lot of product managers who were stealing from me.”

"The best thing Kanye did for me was make ‘Jesus Walks.'"

But he didn’t let that break him, even though he was trying to support a growing family; his wife Desiree had just given birth to their twin daughters Liv and Mercy. (They also have a son, Jerry Lorenzo Manuel III, who’s now six.) “As much money as I lost, I never lost the conviction that I knew I had something to say or offer,” he adds. “There were plenty of times I should’ve let go and given up, like, ‘Hey, my wife just gave birth. I have a son at home. I’m trying to get out of nightlife, but maybe this isn’t the right way. But I just knew what I was going to do in the end was way bigger than what [people] were taking from me.”

The first piece Lorenzo designed was a short sleeve hoodie with side zippers, which was one of the 12 pieces he released as part of his first collection. “I remember I used this super cheap fabric I found in downtown L.A. and put these expensive gold RiRi zippers so it could feel luxe,” he says. From there, he made Fear of God’s version of the extra-long tee that, much like all of his designs, came from a need to fill a void. The arms on the long tee from Romance, a brand Lorenzo often bought, were too fitted; Rick Owens’ was too drapey. “I wanted something else that felt masculine,” Lorenzo says. He perfected his silhouette: long, but not drapey, with sleeves that aren't skin-tight and a neckline just wide enough that he could let his gold chains show.

It wasn’t long before celebrities became fans. Lorenzo recalls Big Sean ’s stylist, who is friends with his wife, pulling the long tees for the rapper. “I had all these tees in my garage with no labels and she was like, ‘I think Sean will like these,’” he says. “He ended up liking it and wanting more pieces, so I gave him the short sleeve hoodie.”

A few weeks later, he received a call from West, who asked to see the rest of his first collection. “He was like, ‘Yo! I just got this long tee from you. Can you come to Atlantic City and show me your collection?’” Lorenzo remembers. “When I got to Atlantic City, he looked at the T-shirt and was like, ‘Man, I could see all the thought that went into this simple long tee.’” Lorenzo was floored. “At that time, I looked up to Kanye so much,” he says. “There hasn’t been anything after that, for the past four years, that’s surprised me, because the person I looked up to saw what I saw. It helped me further believe in myself. So now, when someone else sees what I see, I’m like, ‘Oh, of course you’re going to see it.’”

That same day, West offered Lorenzo a job to work on his A.P.C. collaboration and, later, other projects for his creative company Donda , including the Yeezus tour merch , Yeezy Season , West’s wardrobe, and more. “What he gave me the first time I met him…” Lorenzo says about West, a smile creeping onto his face. “I believed in myself after that first meeting. And I’m forever grateful to him for that.”

West had a tremendous impact on Fear of God. “The best thing Kanye did for me was make ‘Jesus Walks,’” Lorenzo adds. “Fear of God wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t a ‘Jesus Walks. I was working at Diesel in Chicago at the time, and hearing this dude rap about Jesus, the way that he did, his delivery… ‘Jesus Walks’ changed my life.”

Today, the first drop of Fear of God’s massive 96-piece fifth collection will be available for pre-order. The line, which focuses on luxury details and tailoring and was inspired by Lorenzo’s childhood, includes a flannel with a denim collar, trackpants, punkish plaid pants, a blush pink satin bomber, and a corduroy blazer—all of which will be sold in smaller sizes, Lorenzo’s workaround to releasing a women’s line. It’s Lorenzo’s most ambitious collection yet and, in a way, a dedication to his kids. He featured models of color for both the film and campaign images. “Now that I’m a father, it’s important that my kids see people in my clothes that look like them,” he says. Soon, he will also release five new sneakers in collaboration with Vans and Fear of God’s first fragrance.

Four years in, Fear of God has developed a fanbase of kids who tell Lorenzo he’s they’re “undisputed favorite designer” and that they only “sell shoes to purchase Fear of God pieces." The products are ubiquitous with A-list celebrities, like Bieber , West, 2 Chainz , Future , Offset , Travis Scott , Rihanna , Gigi Hadid , and Kendall Jenner . But while Lorenzo’s humbled by the support, he says he doesn’t want to put too much weight on those celebrity co-signs.

On Oscars night last month, he watched as Denzel Washington lost in the category of Best Actor for his performance in the film Fences to Manchester by the Sea star Casey Affleck. Washington was biting his lip; his eyes were watering. “I don’t know if I should say this, and not to say his happiness would’ve been validated by that moment...” he says, earnestly. “But I’m trying to get to a place where my happiness or success isn’t validated by someone wearing Fear of God, a store carrying it, or whatever Vogue has to say about it. I don’t wanna get to a place where I’m doing this for the industry.”

Slumped in a wooden chair in his showroom, Lorenzo is reminded of his parents. “We didn’t have a lot when I grew up,” he says, “but players and coaches looked to my parents for something else they had about themselves that was beyond material things.” In a way, it’s what he’d like to achieve with Fear of God.

“I could never just make cool clothes just to make clothes,” he says. “I need it to be founded on purpose, or something of meaning.”

The message he’s sending with Fear of God is evolving. But right now, he says he’s trying to build something for his son, who he calls his“best friend," the way his father did for him. “I want to break any mental barriers in his mind about what’s possible for him to do,” Lorenzo says.

“Deep down, that’s what I’ve always wanted—to be like my parents.” he adds. “If I’m gonna have this brand, Fear of God, what am I giving to people beyond a cool ‘fit for Instagram?” He laughs a little, then his face turns completely serious.

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• Success Story

Meet Jerry Lorenzo, the man behind the luxury streetwear brand ‘Fear of God’

Before building his luxury streetwear brand, Fear of God , Jerry Lorenzo worked as a club promoter. With no prior knowledge in the fashion industry and nothing but a deep conviction to be a father his children can look up to, Lorenzo ventured into fashion and today he has one of the most sought-after deals with the second-largest sportswear company in the world, Adidas.

Born Jerry Lorenzo Manuel in Sacramento, California, Lorenzo’s family lived in renters a studio apartment even though his father, Jerry Manuel was a professional baseball player who now works as a TV baseball analyst.

He built his fashion brand in Los Angeles. But prior to that, he had moved to LA to pursue his MBA at Loyola Marymount during the day and worked at Diesel at night, mostly in the stockroom. Lorenzo had his moment one day on the sales floor and combined his knowledge of the products and his natural flair for sales to sell more than $5000 worth of merchandise .

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He then left Diesel after a while on the sales floor to pursue a career as a sports agent. Even though that did not pan out, Lorenzo began unknowingly building his future clientele for Fear of God as he worked closely with the likes of Donovan McNabb and Dwayne Wade at an agency in Chicago.

Lorenzo moved back to LA in 2008 and that was when he worked to build his niche as club promoter under the brand name JL Nights with his focus on the products, getting people to freely walk into his parties because the brand was so strong.

That product-building mentality needed a new home after he became a father and felt it was time to leave the nightlife to pursue things of a higher purpose that his children would be proud of. He chose to use JL instead of his full name on the job because according to Allan Philips , he didn’t want to bring ‘shame to his father.’

Lorenzo took a leap of faith and launched his fashion brand in 2012 with $14000 in savings and after many people had taken a go at him sensing his lack of industry know-how.

“I literally knew nothing,” he says. “I didn’t know about production, seasons, how to make a pattern…. I felt like there was something missing in my closet. And if it was missing in mine, then it must be missing in yours, too.”

His biggest motivation was his family as his wife had recently delivered twins and he was now a father of three. Lorenzo’s acquaintance, Virgil Abloh linked him to Kanye West , and West, in turn, gave Lorenzo a shot they did a few collaborations on his Yeezy Season One and Yeezus tour merchandise.

To date, Lorenzo is grateful to West for having faith in him because that confidence gave him the push he needed. “I believed in myself after that first meeting,” he says. “And I’m forever grateful to him for that.”

The Lorenzo- Bieber connection can only best be explained by Lorenzo himself. At the time, he had parted ways with Kanye and Bieber was in search of a unique style to match his album launch.

The pair made a deep spiritual connection that ended up with Lorenzo designing all of Bieber’s 2016 Purpose World tour merch which went on to sell even more after the tour.

What seemed like little progress was the steady rise Lorenzo’s Fear of God brand needed following no industry-set rules. Lorenzo carved a niche for himself in fashion. Not following the norms drew in admirers as his focus was on creating a product that would sell itself.

Without any investors and working on a whim most of the time, Lorenzo built his high-end streetwear fashion brand on his convictions which have yet to fail him even though he admits it is a risk. When a collection fails, that could well be the end of his brand.

He, however, seeks to build a brand beyond what they see and consume now like the way players and caches alike were drawn to his parents when he was a child.

“I don’t have any investors or partners to answer to. There are no goals to meet. Everything we do is based on our conviction. But that also means that every collection is a risk. And if we miss the target, we’ve leveraged our whole company. Every collection could be the end of the brand if it’s not successful, Lorenzo said.

But believing in myself is all I really have. So, I’m just constantly fueling myself and improving the products, [which aren’t] based on trend, but my own life experiences,” he adds.

Then more collaborations came through for Lorenzo and his Fear of God brand, venturing into sneakers . His successful collaboration with Nike in 2018 was the first time the shoe giant gave “complete control of a silhouette to an outsider” which birthed a “ court-ready basketball shoe , the Nike Air Fear of God 1.”

The 43-year-old’s final collaboration with Nike was in November 2020 after he had expressed his fears of their deal coming to close.

Not long after, like his mentor Kanye, Lorenzo signed a deal with Adidas. This meant Lorenzo would now not only style these A-list basketball players off the courts but he also got to decide how they look on court as well.

In December 2020, Lorenzo was made the head of the Adidas basketball division which birthed the third wing of his label, Fear of God Athletics.

“The partnership will also solidify the establishment and formation of the third pillar of the Fear of God house, Fear of God Athletics,” a press release reads.

“The new pillar will focus on performance basketball and active lifestyle products that complete Fear of God’s triune nature and compliments the brand’s other two pillars, Essentials and Fear of God’s luxury mainline.”

Lorenzo and his designs have over the years spoken to the soul of its consumer.

He has connected in so many ways with his customer base and his recent celebration of the centennial anniversary of the ‘revolutionary professional baseball Negro Leagues’ inspired by his childhood and his family history with the game resonated with a lot of Black people.

“The global impact that Jerry Lorenzo and Fear of God has had on culture and the industry is undeniable,” Brian Grevy, the Adidas executive board member responsible for Global Brands said .

This black-owned clothing built on convictions and trusting his visions is causing a much-needed revolution today in the Fashion world spilling over into sports and streetwear in general.

Lorenzo is now one step closer to building his “Ralph Lauren-esque legacy” and staying true to his roots and he is not kowtowing to the standards set by people but carving his own path. There is no stopping Lorenzo and the Fear of God brand now.

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