Heron Preston always has an eye to the street. Back in his Nike days, he was endlessly fascinated by how all kinds of people from different cultures would adopt a given sneaker style and make it their own. “I’m interested in approaching a collection as a study in style codes and designing into how people wear clothes in real life, not on Instagram,” Preston said. “I’ve always said that the face of fashion is all of us.”
For spring, he turned his gaze on New York’s post-pandemic scene and what he calls “coming back into the wild.” In particular, he said he wanted to home in on sartorial archetypes that become one with the cityscape.
First stop: Orchard Street, that fierce style corridor between the Lower East Side and Chinatown. It’s a fair bet that the latest iteration of Preston’s money print—an embroidered white leather jacket that riffs on pre-Euro currency, the late Queen’s likeness and Preston’s own imaginary bills—will crop up there early. Ditto the racecar bootleg, faux basketball gear, and bogus law school tees, all examples of what the designer calls “instant language”: at once new, familiar, and inherently inclusive.
Sustainability and eco-materials—nicknamed LED (Less Environmentally Destructive) products—are a major touchpoint, accounting for slightly more than half of the collection. “I’m part of the problem, but my question is how can I be part of the solution?” he mused. One way was to land an exclusive on new-gen eco-stretch denim made from Coreva (pictured in Look 11), an innovative fiber originally inspired—believe it or not—by salami casing and developed and patented by the Italian firm Candiani Denim. Because its yarn is made from natural rubber rather than petroleum derivatives, it is 100% biodegradable. Another denim storyline was a ’90s reboot of loose fits in Skittle colors, sometimes with gradient treatments or highlighted seams.
Tailoring codes likewise got ripped apart: a backless suit jacket is Preston’s way of revisiting workwear as a gender-free statement piece. Ditto a jacket overlaid in black lace, with a hot orange label peeking through on one cuff. That playful little flourish speaks volumes: Preston’s following knows him by a signpost that can be spotted miles away. A longtime student of iconic brands, the designer is also leaning in on underwear. Not hard to imagine where he might be headed from there.
For all the latest fasion News Click Here
