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History and Childhood
Jerry Lorenzo is an American fashion designer born October 5th, 1976 in Sacramento, CA. Lorenzo had a nomadic childhood as his father transitioned roles frequently in the MLB: from playing five seasons as a second baseman for the Montreal Expos to managing teams such as the White Sox and Miami Marlins to coaching for the New York Mets.

Lorenzo went on to get his Bachelor’s at Florida A&M and his MBA at Loyola Marymount. As he was pursuing his MBA, Lorenzo worked part-time in the sales department at Diesel. After college, he began working for the LA Dodgers and a sports marketing agency called CSMG.

In 2008, Lorenzo moved back to LA to throw parties which attracted celebrities and designers of the likes of Virgil Abloh, Pusha-T, and Kid Cudi. In the same year, he began managing MLB player Matt Kemp (Dodgers) with a focus on media image and mens styling. He wanted to style his client in ways that were not available so he decided to design them himself. “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,” he says in an interview with Complex Magazine. Lorenzo decided to change career paths and built Fear of God with only $14,000.

Influences
Jerry Lorenzo draws heavy influence from a wide range of sources – most notably amongst his  contemporaries Kanye West, artists like Kurt Cobain, and athletes like Allen Iverson, to name a few. Lorenzo took this inspiration and put it into existence when he worked with Justin Beiber to design his purpose tour merchandise (See examples below). The aesthetics match Cobain’s style closely: graphic t-shirt, denim, and a flannel over shirt.

Lorenzo recalls buying a pair of Rick Owen Dunks in 2006 – the shoe was able to take a basketball sneaker and make it luxurious, integrating two different worlds into one entity. The idea of turning basic clothing items luxury is the foundation of what Fear of God is and what he is pushing with his Essentials sub-line.

As his father was a professional MLB player and general manager, Lorenzo has strong knowledge about baseball and its history. With his seventh collection, he pays homage to the Negro Leagues with pieces that resembled the roles his father held when he managed MLB teams.

Brand Success and Collaborations
Lorenzo started with a basic silhouette: the long white tee. Other brands did not match his vision for the piece. He sought a long but not drapey design with a loose neckline. He then moved on to hoodies and added his own special touch to them by putting a zipper on each side.

His brand began gaining traction when rapper Big Sean’s stylist got a hold of the t-shirts. They were received well and Lorenzo was asked for more pieces.