H2: From New York to the world
An interview with American designer and cultural curator Heron Preston.
American designer and cultural curator Heron Preston challenges the status quo by creating fresh paradigms, innovating alternative systems of style that support new fashion futures. With a focus on collaboration, experimentation, authenticity and intuition, his eponymous label has built its aesthetic around Preston’s ability to blend style with purpose, bringing together streetwear, sportswear, uniform archetypes, luxury fashion and sustainable design.
H2 is an initiative created by the designer and H&M to encourage cultural progress by fusing perspectives in circularity, community, information and product. The collections reflect the positive energy and collective potential generated in multidimensional, ever-evolving urban centres.
Drop 2, launching in October, is an A/W assortment with an emphasis on layering, heavier fabrics, knitwear and outerwear. Standout pieces include a puffy reversible pink and khaki bomber jacket, rhinestone-embellished jeans with contrast inseam stitching, a patchwork hockey jersey, a leather varsity jacket with high-contrast patches, a half-zip rugby shirt, decal tees and logo caps.
We talked to Preston about the irrelevance of his-and-hers fashion, his design process and the cultural significance of New York City.
H&M: Most of the collection is unisex. Why was this important to you?
HP: This is how I like to design, and it’s the honest reality of the world we live in. My pieces can be worn and styled by both men and women and seamlessly integrated into anyone’s closet. It’s how I see people adopting fashion, style and clothing these days. It allows people to bring these ideas to life in their own unique way and be the individual they want to be. A lot of the pieces, like outerwear, T-shirts, sweatpants and hoodies, can be gender-neutral. That is part of my design DNA. No rules. Wear it how you want, when you want. If you like it, it’s for you.
H&M: Part of H2’s ethos is that it “comes out of NYC but is made for more than just NYC. H2 embodies the city's mentality and energy, bringing it to the world.” You’ve envisioned H2 as being from NYC but for the world — both unique and universal. Can you speak a little more about that?
HP: I live in NYC and have been here for a very long time. The streets of NYC and the people who make up this city are what inspire me. I see NYC as a melting pot of different cultures, people and styles. The New York metropolitan area is the most linguistically diverse urban center in the world, probably in the history of the world, with 700 languages spoken here. Nearly 10 million people live here. That’s 10 million stories. H2 starts with me here in NYC, but it is designed with a global perspective. We wanted to create something that would work in every part of the world.
H&M: You moved to NYC in 2004. How has the city evolved since you first arrived?
HP: It has changed a lot since I first moved here. Friends live, friends die and people move on. New people, new energy. The tides shift, the city changes. What are cities without people? It’s the people that make it what it is here. The New York I moved to is not the New York I live in today, but I suppose that’s human nature. NYC is a city that constantly evolves, but what remains the same is the NYC attitude.
H&M: How has NYC shaped your approach to design?
My approach to design is getting inspired by the streets of NYC. It is a city full of energy, and you get to see so many different people with different styles. Since it constantly evolves and changes, it’s hard to get bored of the city. It never ceases to amaze me. As soon as I land back in NYC from a trip, I can feel how much the atmosphere is just charged. There is always something new to see. It is a very unique place for me.
H&M: What makes NYC the right creative epicentre for this moment in fashion?
HP: NYC is where culture starts.