Mega-hot and perennial cult favorite streetwear brand Fear of God has become extraordinarily successful despite—although some might say because—the fact that the indie line eschews traditional fashion industry guidelines. Founder and CEO Jerry Lorenzo has no stores, no formal training in fashion and does little advertising, and the brand does not follow the seasonal calendar for releasing collections. According to conventional wisdom, that sort of maverick behavior shouldn’t add up to positive word of mouth and viral social media fame that has enabled Fear of God’s annual revenues to top $200 million, but it does.
Lorenzo, a 46-year-old former nightclub promoter, and his longtime wife Desiree Manuel have resided in the Los Feliz neighborhood since 2018, when they forked over $8.5 million for a thoroughly updated 1930s Spanish Revival-style mansion with six bedrooms and nine bathrooms. But with Fear of God’s continued ascent and the company’s lucrative new Adidas partnership, it’s no surprise that the couple has now dropped exactly $20 million to buy a larger and more lavish property deep in the mountains above Beverly Hills, in an L.A. city neighborhood known as Beverly Hills Post Office.
Sited on a 1.3-acre lot near the end of a secluded, dead-end street popular with celebrities, the circa-1949 house has lived an interesting life. Originally a humble ranch-style structure, the place underwent an expansion in the 1960s. It then appears to have been given a huge and rather unfortunate remodel in the ’80s, complete with heavy draperies, limestone floors and a master bathroom slathered in black marble and floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
In 2020, the dated house was sold for $6.5 million to an entity headed up by real estate developer Max Fowles-Pazdro, who subsequently redesigned and refreshed every inch of the entire property. Today, the chicly demure and sophisticate home “stands as a testament to elegance in restraint,” per the listing. Tucked away from public view behind gates and tall hedges, the glassy contemporary residence fuses five primary materiels—travertine, oak, cedar, bronze, and steel—together to create a harmonious blend of minimalist living spaces that are at once soothing, stimulating, casually luxe, and fashionable.
Highlights include a skylit kitchen overlooking the grassy backyard, a light-filled primary bath with a freestanding tub set into an alcove and a separate skylit shower, a walk-in closet that would not look out of place in a Rodeo Drive boutique, a glass-walled gym, a full-size tennis court and a 52-foot swimming pool. The main house offers an attached two-car garage, while the detached guesthouse has covered parking for three additional vehicles. Much of the yard is shaded by mature olive and oak trees.
The listing was held by Jonathan Nash and Stephen Resnick of Carolwood Estates
