Though it was plenty surprising to hear that Jerry Lorenzo and Fear of God were departing Nike for adidas it also, weirdly, made perfect sense.
Now, just about a year later, we're finally seeing the fruits of their collaborative efforts and, yeah, it checks out.
As revealed to Highsnobiety last year, Lorenzo used Innersect Shanghai as the launching pad to announce the new Fear of God Athletics line, a long-term collaborative project with both adidas and adidas Basketball.
Pretty sneaky way to introduce what's gonna be one of the year's most sought-after drops but a worthy venue for the new line.
Fear of God Athletics' debut showing is deceivingly simple: looks like just some co-branded hoodies, yeah? Well, look closer.
Beyond the large logos, notice the effortlessly relaxed slouch of the cut, a Lorenzo signature that's slightly sharpened up to better befit adidas' sporty inclinations.
Furthermore, there's a subtle history lesson baked into each garment. Check out the retro adidas logo, for instance, borrowed from an influential twenty year run in the German company's history.
"The adidas logo used in the new collaborative badge was featured by the performance house from 1950 to 1971," Lorenzo explained on Instagram. "Arguably its most dominant and defining era..."
There are clear ESSENTIALS vibes as well, reflecting the sub-label's inherent versatility. Can't go wrong with easy, oversized sweaters and tees, right?
Fear of God fans apparently agree, 'cuz ESSENTIALS remains immensely popular, perhaps nearly as much as FoG mainline.
Either way, the intentionally sparse Fear of God Athletics debut is leading us into the the collaborative line's global launch, which hasn't yet been given a specific date. But get ready for more revamped sportswear and, eventually, some collaborative kicks.
