Fear of God’s FW23 Line Transcends Time at First Fashion Show

An evening with the Fear of God fashion house at the Hollywood Bowl was more than a fashion show. It was a cultural and spiritual experience. From quality crafted pieces to the live performances, the independent luxury American brand founded by Jerry Lorenzo curated a mobile art exhibit for its attendees.

Thirty years after Calvin Klein’s show at the same location, Lorenzo’s Eighth Collection, and first with Adidas, showcased elevated loungewear and tailored basics varying in earth tone hues like black and neutrals, to pops of colors such as mustard yellow and shades of lime green.  

The show had a poetic pacing, by way of the integration of soulful singer and songwriter Sampha’s slow tempo opening performance of his songs including “(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano.” The somberness of the accompaniment of his vocals and piano chords calmed the audience before taking them on a journey with soundbites from sermons, references to the Blues era and merging classic hip-hop songs that hyped the crowd.

Each model who strutted down the two-sided stage to those songs wore layered looks including blazers with boxy shoulders, oversized overcoats, flowy trousers or loose joggers, with the addition of touches of leather and fur textures. The L.A.-based brand has described itself to be about “functionality, without trading elegance and style,” and that aesthetic was prevalent at the show with timeless pieces that transcend seasons and trends, yet appear to be more of a uniform that can be worn any time, any place.

Fear of God’s FW23 drop brought out many celebrities including music mogul Sean Diddy Combs’ children Christian and model twin daughters D’Lila and Jessie Combs, Tracee Ellis Ross, Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, influencers The Clermont Twins and others. The streetwear designer, with the motto “conviction without opinion,” also made Hollywood Bowl merch available to purchase on-site after the show.