Heron Preston, 42, Designer, Dad, DJ.
Previous experience: reclaiming ownership of my namesake brand
Our first guest is Heron Preston. Innovative, grounded and energetic . .
San Francisco born, New York based - Heron is a hybrid of designer, DJ, dad and creative. Speaking on behalf of the UN, sending his collection to outer space and steering his namesake brand into a new chapter focused on sustainability, technology and culture. Is there anything he can’t do?
What got you into your job? tell us your story I was always a creatively driven kid. I started screen printing graphic t-shirts with my friends in high school and that journey led me here
What was your style like as a teenager? Skater / sportswear kid influenced by hip hop and the streets of NYC.
Was there a defining moment in your younger life that shaped the way you dress? MTV
How has your culture, upbringing, or background influenced the way you see fashion? Growing up in America, fashion for me was this everyday thing. The runways were the streets. I didn’t check for luxury brands. Fashion wasn’t really a thing for me until I moved to NYC, started going to Parsons and making friends with people who actually worked in fashion.
What was the first thing you ever designed that felt ‘right’? Probably my THUG LIFE t-shirt early 2000’s. I hand drew Tupacs tattoos from his torso, scanned them, made some screens and that was my first shirt I designed.
Talk us through your role and its contribution to your brand? I’m the creative director. My imagination, ideas, patience and perseverance got us here
Common misconception about your job? That it’s always fun and creative. It’s not like that all of the time. When you own a business you also have to do mind numbing things that suck your soul. But it’s necessary to keep the business going unfortunately.
Tell us a proud moment in your career? When Calvin Klein gave me an entire floor in their iconic offices and team to direct and support me for my role at the time. It was a massive opportunity. I was like “o shit, is this really happening?!” I literally worked out of Calvin Kleins old office. Or when I did a collaboration with the NYC Sanitation Dept. and Anna Wintour wrote about the project in her editors note for VOGUE and gave us an entire spread in the magazine. It was the first time sanitation workers were featured in VOGUE.
Where does your process begin when you’re developing something new? My heart and brain And then most likely, straight to photoshop!
How do you decide when a collection is ‘finished’? When I can sleep at night.
What does pressure look like in your job and how do you deal with it? Not posting enough content and hearing about it! I found a social media manager to help with the high volume of content that we need to be constantly posting.
How do you want people to feel when they wear your clothes? Comfortable and confident. I want people to feel apart of something special.
What’s the most worn item in your wardrobe right now? Probably my Carhartt / HP collab double knee pants.
What’s one truth about fashion that took you years to learn? It’s all smoke and mirrors!
Are you more stylish than your romantic partner? not at all!
What does success look like for your brand in the future? What are your dream projects? Working with more fine artists and creatives outside of fashion. Success in the future looks like healthy constantly machine running. Constant motion.
What change do you wish to see in the fashion industry? Stop making so much crap. Less is more.
AI in fashion. What's your take/expectations or predictions? I use AI as a tool. I use it to help me copy write, researching and organizing my thoughts.
Do you think the industry gives designers enough space to evolve? Or puts too much pressure to stay relevant? Way too much pressure. No way. There is no time to evolve. It’s crazy. You really have to separate yourself from the system and bring your fans with you if you want time and space to grow at a healthy pace. The system / fashion industry is toxic. Once you understand what’s going on, you learn how to really play the game or not play it at all. Or at least have on foot in and one foot out
What do you think matters too much in fashion right now? What people are wearing, who cares! The focus should be on making less crap.
What references influence you outside of fashion? The food and sports industry.
