In Practice 003 - Lorenzo G. Federici
Earlier: RJ Powell, Yash Sheth.
Lorenzo G. Federici runs a colour design practice out of a studio in London. The primary tools are dye baths, marigold gloves, and an urn for heating water. He calls the room bare and utilitarian. Everything in there exists because he needs it to make something. He works under the name LORENZ.OG and has spent the last five years building one of the most recognisable hand-dyed aesthetics in fashion.
What he makes is hand-dyed colour gradients on sneakers and technical outerwear, shifting between two or three colours in ways that reward looking closely. Air Force 1s, Air Max 95s, CDG 95s, Air Jordan 4 Off-Whites, New Balance 2002Rs, Arc'teryx jackets. Each piece takes him three hours or twenty, depending on the object and the colourway.
The phrase for what he does is "Patented Colorschemes." Virgil Abloh coined it in a text, replying to sample photos Lorenzo sent him in 2021. Lorenzo adopted it and has never let it go. His work has been worn by Drake, Lil Yachty, and Erling Haaland. His drops usually run between 50 and 110 pairs, sell out on release day, and start showing up on Grailed and StockX within hours.
We wanted to talk to him because his career is a specific shape of the life we keep watching emerge as an archetype in the zeitgeist. He is Italian, the youngest of ten in a family that runs a business his parents built over four decades. He is a Lazio fan, a churchgoer, and, as of a few months ago, a father. He is trying to become fluent in Italian. He wants to start his own brand next.
These are the answers he sent us.
NU: WHAT ARE YOU INTO RIGHT NOW THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SNEAKERS OR FASHION?
LORENZO: I'VE JUST BECOME A FATHER, SO THAT HAS TAKEN OVER EVERYTHING. MY SON IS THREE AND A HALF MONTHS OLD AND I'VE HAD TO BECOME FASCINATED BY EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH LOOKING AFTER HIM.
YOU SUDDENLY REALISE HOW MANY DECISIONS THERE ARE WHEN YOU BECOME A PARENT. FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING, THERE ARE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT, PRESSURES, DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT WHAT IS BEST.
IT'S ONLY BEEN THREE AND A HALF MONTHS, BUT IT HAS ALREADY BEEN THE MOST PROFOUND AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOMEONE COMPLETELY, AND I THINK THAT FORCES A KIND OF GROWTH IN YOU THAT NOTHING ELSE CAN. IT'S HARD TOO, BUT GROWTH SHOULD BE.
WALK US THROUGH A SUNDAY IN LONDON WHEN YOU ARE NOT WORKING.
I TRY MY BEST NOT TO WORK ON SUNDAYS AT ALL. IT CAN BE DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY WHEN I'VE TAKEN ON A DEMANDING PROJECT.
WE GO TO CHURCH AS A FAMILY, THEN USUALLY SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY WITH EITHER MY FAMILY OR MY WIFE'S FAMILY, NORMALLY AROUND GOOD FOOD. IF LAZIO ARE PLAYING, I'LL BE WATCHING WITH MY DAD AND BROTHERS. IT'S A SIMPLE DAY, REALLY. CHURCH, FAMILY, FOOD AND FOOTBALL.
YOU ARE THE YOUNGEST OF TEN. WHAT DID THAT TEACH YOU ABOUT PAYING ATTENTION THAT MOST DESIGNERS DO NOT HAVE?
BEING THE YOUNGEST OF TEN MEANT I HAD NINE LIVES AHEAD OF MINE TO WATCH QUITE CLOSELY. I WATCHED MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS GO THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, CHOOSE CAREERS, MAKE MISTAKES, GET MARRIED AND START FAMILIES BEFORE I HAD TO DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS MYSELF. IT TAUGHT ME A LOT THAT IS DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO WORDS.
I LEARNED TO TAKE CALCULATED RISKS. I LEARNED THAT MY PARENTS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS RIGHT, BUT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THE SAFEST DECISION IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT DECISION.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT I HAVE THAT OTHER DESIGNERS DON'T, AND I'D PROBABLY BE SUSPICIOUS OF MYSELF IF I THOUGHT I KNEW. BUT I DO THINK I'VE REMAINED QUITE CHILDLIKE. MAYBE BEING THE YOUNGEST HELPED WITH THAT. I'M SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT I MAKE WITHOUT WANTING TO BECOME TOO SERIOUS ABOUT MYSELF. CHILDREN FOLLOW WHAT FASCINATES THEM BEFORE THEY WORRY ABOUT WHETHER IT MAKES SENSE TO ANYBODY ELSE. I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT IN THAT FOR CREATIVITY. I THINK REMAINING TRUE TO THAT INSTINCT, ORIGINALITY COMES NATURALLY.
WHAT IS THE MOST ITALIAN THING ABOUT YOU THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT GUESS?
I THINK THEY PROBABLY WOULD GUESS, BUT FOOD AND FOOTBALL. AND PERHAPS MY STUBBORNNESS.
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU LEFT YOUR NIKE INTERNSHIP TO DYE SHOES IN YOUR BEDROOM?
I DIDN'T REALLY THINK I WAS DOING ANYTHING OTHER THAN TRYING TO COPE.
MY TIME AT NIKE WAS INVALUABLE, BUT PERSONALLY I WAS STRUGGLING. I WAS ON A PATH THAT WAS FILLING ME WITH ANXIETY AND LOW SELF-ESTEEM, AND LEAVING WAS INITIALLY MORE OF AN ESCAPE FROM THOSE FEELINGS THAN A CALCULATED DECISION. I CAN REMEMBER FEELING LIKE I'D FAILED AT THE BEST OPPORTUNITY I'D EVER HAD, AND THINKING THERE'S A SLIM CHANCE OF MAKING IT BACK INTO THE INDUSTRY.
WHEN COVID STARTED, I MOVED BACK HOME AND CONTINUED WORKING FOR NIKE REMOTELY. BEING REMOVED FROM THAT ENVIRONMENT GAVE ME ENOUGH DISTANCE TO REALISE THAT SOMETHING WAS SERIOUSLY WRONG INTERNALLY. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE ALTERNATIVE WAS. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT DYEING SHOES WOULD START A LONG-TERM PATH, OR A BUSINESS, OR LEAD ME ANYWHERE AT ALL.
AT THAT POINT, ALL I COULD REALLY DO WAS SURRENDER IT TO GOD AND ASK HIM TO CARRY ME SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THE DYEING CAME FROM THAT PERIOD. IN HINDSIGHT, PERHAPS NOT HAVING A PLAN WAS IMPORTANT. I WASN'T TRYING TO MANUFACTURE A CAREER. I WAS JUST MAKING THINGS, FOLLOWING WHAT INTERESTED ME, AND SLOWLY A PATH APPEARED.
SOCCER BROUGHT YOU INTO FOOTWEAR. WHAT IS IT TEACHING YOU NOW?
FOOTBALL FOR ME NOW IS PARTLY ABOUT CLINGING ONTO CHILDHOOD. IT'S SHARING MEMORIES WITH MY DAD AND MY BROTHERS, AND NOW THINKING ABOUT THE MEMORIES I'LL HOPEFULLY MAKE WITH MY SON.
IT HAS ALSO TAUGHT ME THAT NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, GOOD OR BAD. WHEN THINGS ARE GOOD, ENJOY THEM BECAUSE THEY WON'T ALWAYS BE. AND WHEN THINGS ARE BAD, HOLD ON, BECAUSE THEY WON'T ALWAYS BE BAD EITHER.
SUPPORTING LAZIO AND ITALY HAS GIVEN ME PLENTY OF BOTH. THE FIRST WORLD CUP I EVER WATCHED WAS 2006 AND ITALY WON IT. NOW ITALY HAVE FAILED TO QUALIFY FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE WORLD CUPS. LAZIO HAVE GIVEN ME SOME INCREDIBLE MEMORIES AND PLENTY OF SUFFERING TOO.
I SUPPOSE THAT CYCLE IS PART OF WHY YOU LOVE FOOTBALL. YOU KEEP SHOWING UP. NOW I JUST HOPE THAT BY THE TIME MY SON IS OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND IT, OUR TEAMS ARE DOING A LITTLE BETTER.
WHAT IS YOUR MORNING LIKE BEFORE YOU TOUCH ANYTHING CREATIVE?
RIGHT NOW IT'S QUITE UNPREDICTABLE BECAUSE WE HAVE A THREE AND A HALF MONTH OLD SON.
I USUALLY GET UP WHEN HE DECIDES THE DAY HAS STARTED, WHICH IS AROUND 7AM. I CAN HEAR HIM IN HIS COT MAKING NOISES TO HIMSELF, SOMETIMES EVEN LAUGHING. I'LL GET HIM UP AND SPEND THE FIRST COUPLE OF HOURS OF THE MORNING WITH HIM WHILE MY WIFE GETS SOME MORE SLEEP.
ONCE SHE'S UP, WE HAVE BREAKFAST TOGETHER, AND THEN I'LL LEAVE FOR THE STUDIO OR GO INTO LONDON.
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO LEARN RIGHT NOW THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DESIGN?
ITALIAN. I HAVEN'T PROPERLY STARTED LESSONS YET, BUT I REALLY WANT TO BECOME FLUENT.
I CAN UNDERSTAND QUITE A LOT AND I CAN GET BY WHEN I'M THERE, BUT I WANT TO BE CONFIDENT SPEAKING IT. I HATE HAVING SOMETHING TO SAY AND NOT HAVING THE LANGUAGE TO SAY IT.
THERE'S PROBABLY SOMETHING DEEPER IN WANTING TO LEARN IT PROPERLY NOW TOO. IT'S PART OF MY FAMILY, AND NOW THAT I HAVE A SON, I FEEL A GREATER RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO LET THAT CONNECTION BECOME WEAKER WITH EACH GENERATION. ESPECIALLY SINCE OUR NAMES ARE SO ITALIAN.
WHAT'S YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
I DON'T HAVE A HUGE NUMBER OF DISHES IN MY LOCKER, BUT I MAKE A STRONG TRADITIONAL CARBONARA FROM TIME TO TIME. NO CREAM.