Fear of God at the Hollywood Bowl: Inside the Brand’s First-Ever Fashion Show

One can solely speculate how Kanye “Ye” West should have felt ultimately night time’s Concern of God present in Los Angeles. Even earlier than anybody realized a mask-donning Ye had slipped right into a stageside seat, the indicators that Concern of God designer Jerry Lorenzo had efficiently picked up the torch of subtle California consolation that Ye first lit have been in all places.  

The setting itself was a testomony to how grand Lorenzo’s imaginative and prescient for Concern of God has turn out to be, and the way large the enterprise has gotten. For the model’s first trend present in its ten years, Lorenzo took over the Hollywood Bowl, which, in a backstage interview following the present, he known as one in every of his favourite locations in LA. “I’ve by no means believed in simply talking each alternative you get,” he mentioned of the model’s long-awaited runway debut. “And I actually really feel like I lastly had one thing to say. I really feel like my assets, my craft, my capacity have caught as much as my storytelling.” 

Visitors streamed out of black vehicles in droves because the solar set over the Hollywood Hills. A large proportion of the a number of thousand attendees have been outfitted within the dusty shades of greige and ice and navy that type Concern of God’s main palette, and which have come to outline the refined tones of up to date SoCal fashion. Everybody was dolled up for a trend present, positive, however they might have simply match proper in at LAX or Erewhon. 

The visitor listing rivaled the Coachella lineup in wattage, with a large cross-section of LA society in attendance that spoke to the pop cultural firepower Concern of God now instructions: Tyler the Creator held court docket in a field down the way in which from Squid Recreation star Hoyeon. Pete Wentz slid previous Tessa Thompson and Lena Waithe looking for his seat. The On-line Ceramics guys caught up with fellow native artists as friends milled about. “I’ve one million rappers and athletes right here,” mentioned one high-powered expertise supervisor, in search of some of them. There have been as many members of the style press there, too. Mainly, if a meteor had struck the Hollywood Bowl final night time, there could be no extra trend magazines, or individuals to be in them. 

As soon as night time had lengthy settled over the Bowl, and the English songwriter Sampha had belted out some tunes on the piano, celestial clouds on an enormous suspended video display screen started to drift over the stage. Lorenzo is deeply religious (Concern of God isn’t just a cool model title), and he sees dressing as virtually a non secular act. Usually his garments, for all their ease, seem as pristine and purified as ecclesiastical robes. Because the Hollywood Cross shone brightly over the 101 within the distance, it grew to become clear this was not only a trend present however a gathering of Lorenzo’s congregation. 

The strongest parallel to Ye’s now-dormant Yeezy mission was the extremely anticipated debut of Concern of God Athletics, a collaboration between Lorenzo and Adidas that’s been germinating for years. Its launch couldn’t come at a extra essential time for the Three Stripes, which in October terminated its extremely profitable, culture-shifting partnership with Ye, leaving the German sportswear big in want of one other main hit. This preview appeared to be a extra elevated providing, with shiny wool basketball shorts and suede western-fringe denims tagged on the seams with a refined new three-stripes band. Different items pointed to an aspirational standpoint, with the basic Adidas monitor pants lower in lavish velvet, and high-top sneakers made with tough suedes. Will Adidas attempt to broaden the partnership to Concern of God’s rocketship Necessities line, the entry-level on a regular basis assortment that’s been a runaway business success? Time will inform. “We have been working with Adidas for the previous two and a half years and like all the things that we do, I consider all the things was written earlier than it occurs,” Lorenzo mentioned.