The New York-based designer leading the conversation one project at a time.

How the New York-based designer Heron Preston leading the conversation one project at a time.

The HERON01 is subject to limited availability for now, but if Preston and Zellerfeld are able to scale their innovative collaboration, the sneaker could be a game-changer for reducing waste at both ends of a sneaker’s life cycle. And although Preston is just four years into his namesake brand, he’s already at the forefront of sustainability within streetwear, a relatively short journey that begins less than 15 years ago.
Preston graduated from the esteemed Parsons School of Design in 2007 and began working at <a href="https://www.goat.com/sneakers/brand/nike">Nike</a> in production and marketing. His career at the Swoosh continued steadily, giving him the cultural knowledge and industry connections to form Been Trill alongside Kanye West affiliates Virgil Abloh, Matthew Williams and JJJJound’s Justin Saunders. The influential collective set a new tone for streetwear in the early-2010s, combining parties and mixtapes with coveted apparel drops. All four designers became close to West during this time and Preston officially joined Team Yeezy ahead of the launch of Yeezy Season 1 in 2015.

Preston’s time under the Yeezy umbrella saw him working on West’s nascent label as well as the esteemed merchandise for The Life of Pablo. On his own, he also started to become known for his bootleg designs that leaned fully into <a href="https://www.goat.com/collections/logomania-apparel">logo-mania</a>, including a long-sleeved T-shirt bearing the marks of NASCAR, Google and Home Depot, as well as custom ‘Street Sweeper’ Air Force 1s that featured the BAPE logo constructed of deadstock Gucci fabric.
The bootleg and DIY aesthetic continued with the launch of Heron Preston’s namesake label, but Preston’s commitment to sustainability soon overtook the design language as his primary identity. According to a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-and-off-the-avenue/a-fashion-line-inspired-by-the-new-york-city-sanitation-department">2016 article</a>, a friend asked Preston, “Are you interested in art and design just for art and design, or do you want to apply it to more wicked problems, to help people?” The challenge stuck with Preston but the “wicked” part of the equation didn’t become clear until he was swimming in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. A trash bag came in contact with his arm, shedding light on his path to combat waste.&nbsp;

The same year, Preston partnered with the New York City Department of Sanitation on a collection made from sanitation worker uniforms and other used clothing. His debut Paris Fashion Week show followed in 2017 and the accolades began to pile on. Business of Fashion named him one of the 500 most influential people in fashion, while British GQ referred to him as “the hottest designer right now.” Collaborations with Nike, Calvin Klein, Off-White, Levi’s and NASA abounded—launching Preston toward the center of the streetwear universe while he continued to hone his craft and focus on sustainability.

In an <a href="https://www.goat.com/editorial/heron-preston">earlier interview</a> with GREATEST, Preston discussed utilizing more sustainable materials in collaboration with his design team. The ethos carries down to the smallest of details, including the exemption of tissue paper for wrapping products despite its perception as luxurious. The philosophy extends through to broader manifestations as well, including a 2019 capsule consisting of windbreakers, pants and shorts made from repurposed parachutes.
“Sustainability by definition is strength and growth,” Preston previously told GREATEST. “That’s my approach with the Heron Preston brand, to make products while reducing the environmental impact. I want people to understand that the product we’re making goes back into the earth. Everyone wants this utopian world, but we should be challenging ourselves to identify the problems and take action.”

Through his own label, Preston has brought other brands on board with his prioritization of sustainability. His debut Calvin Klein collaboration released in April 2021 prioritized organic cotton and raw denim in a bid to decrease water usage [the latter also doesn’t need to be washed as frequently], while packaging for the entire collection was developed as free from plastics. Just a few months later, Preston followed up his partnership with Calvin Klein with a collaboration with Mercedes-Benz. Preston announced a new dedicated line called HP Re-Design focused entirely on repurposing used materials. To kick things off, he sourced deployed airbags through the car manufacturer to create one-off jackets, trousers, skirts and bags given away exclusively through <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTphl-7J7On/">social media</a>.&nbsp;
In 2016, when Preston first began discussing sustainability in fashion, the topic was nowhere near as common as it is today. His collections, whether with vital municipal services or German automobile experts, demonstrate a steadfast commitment to sustainability through creativity and innovation. And with the debut of his 3D-printed HERON01 sneaker, he may just become one of the leaders in sustainable footwear too.

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