Jerry Lorenzo and adidas shook up the world of sportswear in December 2020 when they announced a multi-year partnership that would see the designer as the Head of adidas Basketball while empowered with a third pillar to his own brand in Fear of God Athletics. The former effort ultimately fell through, while the latter would not see the fruits of its labor released to the public until Holiday 2023.
Today, in an interview with Aria Hughes for Complex, Lorenzo confirmed his partnership with the Three Stripes was not getting renewed, putting an end to a deal that never took off quite like the world expected.
"Our relationship, partnership ends at the end of December and we've agreed not to renew on both sides," shared Lorenzo.
Throughout his time working on Fear of God Athletics, Lorenzo and team launched numerous footwear, apparel, and accessories designs informed by performance, but with a Fear of God-touch. Though widely-criticized by netizens, items helped adidas Basketball's overall aesthetic, helping form foundations for silhouettes like the Anthony Edwards 2 and Harden Vol. 10. Athletics' own Basketball series promised to deliver top-notch performance in a fashion-forward package. Lorenzo has gone on record to admit that the Basketball I didn't meet the expectations he had hoped for, skewing towards fashion over hoops. In his interview with Hughes, the Fear of God-frontman alludes to the fact that development of product was hindered by confusing information on the adidas side as different Designer and Product Leads expressed inconsistent information about wear-test results and more.
Famously someone who doesn't adhere to Fashion Week schedules, Lorenzo also mentions that he and the Three Stripes operate within different timelines. Whereas the German brand doesn't have the luxury to hold off on highly-anticipated product, Lorenzo says, "Fear of God will wait 10 years to make sure that this is what it needs to be, you know?"
On Dec. 5, the designer wore his Basketball III silhouette to a matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers. The pair is expected to release via adidas.com soon to mark the end of the Fear of God Athletics partnership.
Lorenzo's time with the Three Stripes will certainly live on as a What Could've Been? story. Maybe an announcement shouldn't have been made until some product was ready to debut à la Fear of God x Nike in the late 2010s. Regardless, Lorenzo left his mark in the adidas history books.
For more footwear news, check out the latest from the Nike Basketball team.
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