"I wouldn't say I was, like, a fashion mogul, I just needed a job, and I walked into Gucci, and they gave me one," he said, laughing. ![]() But Lentz, now 36 and a father of three, wasn't looking for a career in fashion back then. ![]() The two met when Lentz, at age 20, worked as a greeter at a Gucci boutique in Beverly Hills, and Cryder was at Prada in L.A. Brant Cryder, the president of Saint Laurent, is one of Lentz's best friends. Saint Laurent boots are another wardrobe staple. I tried to wear a suit a couple times, but I just sweat too much, it's too hot." ![]() It's more about being able to preach seven times in one day, so I'm really more about comfort. "The idea is to not really have that much focus on what you're wearing," Lentz explained. Yet Lentz mostly dresses for practicality, even on Sundays, when he preaches at multiple services. His daily uniform is black Nudie jeans and black T-shirts purchased at the hip boutique Oak. Pastor Carl Lentz says he doesn't put much focus on what he wears, but he has an undeniable sense of style. Exactly what you would see there, you see at church." "It's what you're seeing on the streets of New York or L.A., walking, having a coffee over on Melrose Place. "I always see a lot of Saint Laurent, I have seen a lot of the Chanel espadrilles, the Chanel riding boots, and a lot of Céline," he told me. Rob Garcia, a tattooed fashion designer who's a founder of American-made label En Noir and also has an eponymous line made in Paris, attends late afternoon Hillsong services in both L.A. "A lot wear ripped jeans, oversized T-shirts, leather jackets. It's a mix…you carry a Céline bag and you wear an H&M dress," she said. "Some wear designer stuff with something that they get at a thrift store. They could have been a poster couple for Williamsburg, Brooklyn.Īt a 12:30 PM service on July 19, I noticed quite a few stylish men in the crowd: one had shocking blond hair, á la Lucky Blue Smith, and shredded jeans another wore thick black eyeglasses and a man bun and several sported straw hats, the kind that Bill Cunningham featured in his " On the Street" New York Times column from Men's Fashion Week that same day.Īccording to one beauty editor of a major magazine who's a regular of Hillsong New York and requested anonymity, churchgoers dress eclectically. A late-arriving couple in their early 20s took seats next to me: the guy had long hair halfway down his back, nearly to his skinny jeans the woman had long blonde locks and a patterned yellow sundress. The overwhelmingly young congregants dress to impress, with high-top sneakers, wedge heels, sundresses and shorts appropriate for the summer heat-if not traditional church garb. On my second visit, the pastor opened by offering prayers for those affected by the Chattanooga military base shootings that had occurred just a few days prior. He somehow found a way to keep everyone's attention without lecturing, and this seems to be the overall approach-to make it relatable. There's also a tendency to keep the service relevant. One guest preacher from Dallas was very funny, although he was talking seriously about the scriptures. At times, people are on their phones, even in the front row, but nobody seems to mind there are no Patti LuPone-style incidents here.Īfter the music, one or more pastors preach, though it hardly feels like a traditional sermon. ![]() From the balcony, about eye level with Irving Plaza's disco ball, it's easy to observe the crowd. The words to the songs are projected on the stage, and people enthusiastically sing along. A rock band, outfitted in skinny jeans and T-shirts, plays Christian music to open the service. Friendly people greet you on your way in they help you find seats if it's crowded. Hillsong's services, which last ninety minutes, are very easygoing and welcoming. He has some of the same values, and some of the same passions," he added.Īs a not particularly religious Jew, I arrived hand-in-hand with my husband (a native of Taiwan with no religious affiliation) to services at the Irving Plaza location in New York City, not knowing exactly what to expect-but hoping we might get a Bieber sighting and see some people worthy of gratuitous street style shots. "People say we look similar," Lentz said, laughing. It was Wilkerson who performed Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's wedding ceremony. That was Rich Wilkerson, Jr., who, though he occasionally speaks at Hillsong as a guest, is actually the pastor of another church, Vous, based in Miami, and is often mistaken in the media as being associated with Hillsong.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |