Fear of God Athletics issued a statement on Instagram today (December 2, 2022) letting it be known the label is no longer leading creative direction for Adidas‘ basketball division. The announcement was spurred by Adidas’ “Remember the Why” campaign and collection, which some concluded was designed by Jerry Lorenzo‘s Fear of God Athletics division.
The news was first reported by ARCH USA, which posted a statement from Adidas reading, “Jerry Lorenzo and the Fear of God team are not leading the adidas Basketball category from a creative or strategic perspective as previously announced in December 2020.”
When Adidas announced the partnership with Lorenzo in December 2020, it described the effort as bringing to fruition Fear of God Athletics, described as a “new pillar [that] will focus on performance basketball and active lifestyle products.” Alongside the announcement, the brand’s basketball division was moved from Portland to Lorenzo’s Downtown Los Angeles office.
The Fear of God Athletics statement also let it be known the debut collection of shoes and apparel will launch in spring 2023, rebutting an executive on Foot Locker‘s most recent earnings call who highlighted an upcoming holiday 2022 Fear of God collection.
Adidas hasn’t addressed the adjustment, which likely occurred because of differences on when the debut collection would launch. It’s possible Adidas chose to cut ties with Lorenzo on basketball rather than endure another directionless NBA season.
It remains unclear if Jason Mayden is still involved with the brand. Announced as Fear of God Athletics president in February 2021, his LinkedIn profile last week indicated his relationship with the brand ended in October. However, as of today, the role is again listed as current though his profile states he’s open to work.
