Heron Preston has become a defining voice in modern fashion, shaping the cultural landscape over the past decade. Born in San Francisco, he moved to New York in 2004 to attend Parsons School of Design. Preston started documenting New York’s downtown scene on his blog, which led to a connection with Virgil Abloh. Soon after, Preston found himself working with Kanye West, designing tour merchandise and contributing to Yeezy’s visual identity.
Preston’s early work with the Been Trill collective—alongside Abloh, Matthew Williams, and Justin Saunders—helped lay the foundation for a new wave of streetwear. A trip to the Mediterranean in 2016 opened his eyes to the stark reality of pollution, prompting a pivot toward sustainability that would become a cornerstone of his brand philosophy. That same year, he teamed up with the NYC Department of Sanitation on a zero-waste collection that sold out instantly, a testament to Preston’s knack for tapping into what mattered.
By 2017, Preston made his solo debut at Paris Fashion Week with his eponymous label, backed by the New Guards Group. His collections, blending utilitarian aesthetics with urban urgency, have since found their way into the closets of a global audience, stocked at influential retailers like Ssense and Browns. Recent collaborations with Nike and Gap reflect Preston’s ability to stay plugged into both the mainstream and the avant-garde.
Heron Preston’s work is about more than clothing; it’s a commentary on culture, responsibility, and the intersections of fashion and the real world. His trajectory—from documenting the streets of New York to taking over runways in Paris—illustrates the evolution of fashion itself over the past decade, where streetwear became the new establishment, and sustainability became the new cool.
