Jerry Lorenzo on ESSENTIALS' Fall 2024 "Homecoming" (EXCLUSIVE)
Fear of God's ESSENTIALS collection is its most ubiquitous, the FOG clothing line you're most likely to see worn on, say, college campuses. ESSENTIALS holds special significance to Fear of God founder Jerry Lorenzo beyond its approachability, however, as evidenced by ESSENTIALS' thoughtful Fall 2024 collection.
"Homecoming," ESSENTIALS' FW24 offering, is more than what it sounds like.
"For our fall collection, I wanted to pay tribute to the rich culture of [Historically Black Colleges and Universities], which played a crucial role in shaping who I am today through my time at Florida A&M," Lorenzo tells Highsnobiety. "Homecoming is one the most significant moments in Black college student life."
To suitably commemorate the occasion, Lorenzo and his team have envisioned a collection equally momentous, a worthy successor to the back to school clothes that ESSENTIALS released a month prior. And similarly, ESSENTIALS "Homecoming" collection releases September 26 on Fear of God's website before hitting international stockists on September 27.
Most notably, "Homecoming" emphasizes suitably collegiate messaging with raised all-caps lettering spelling out "FEAR OF GOD A&M" and "IT'S A BLACK COLLEGE THING."
The garments themselves also organically homage HBCU cues, reshaping quintessential Americana sportswear like pullover hoodies with ESSENTIALS' "heaviest to date" Core Fleece and prewashed cotton blends that affect the handfeel of well-loved layering pieces passed down through generations of grads.
As always, ease is everything.
ESSENTIALS is still cutting its signature staples with relaxed aplomb but these shapes are newly reinforced by refreshed materials. These range from a wind-fighting "Military Nylon" to washed black denim to a waffle knit utilized to create slick tops of a year-round weight, including one particularly sophisticated henley shirt.
Womenswear sees the addition of raw necklines and satin nylon, which informs a particularly sumptuous bomber style. But all comers can grasp the appeal of ESSENTIALS' all-purpose layering pieces, from the exquisite jewel blue T-shirts to the drawstring trousers in a new woodland camouflage pattern.
It's a "Homecoming" in more ways than one, updating the cues at the core of the ESSENTIALS line while expanding its purview. In this way, ESSENTIALS aligns with the ever-expanding Fear of God universe while still reflecting the lived experiences of the Black pupils who wear, live, and inspire it.
Says Lorenzo, "This collection is a celebration and reflection of that unifying spirit, community, and the legacy that continues to inspire me."
