Heron Preston for H&M: What to Know
H&M has signed a long-term partnership with designer Heron Preston, it announced Wednesday.
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In his new role, Preston will pioneer H2, a “multifaceted platform” that will present seasonal collections, elevate young talent and act as a testing ground for H&M’s circular fashion endeavors. The designer will also advise H&M’s design teams, focusing on menswear, “with the purpose of elevating assortments and customer experiences,” the company said.
An artist, designer, DJ, consultant and art director, Preston worked for both Nike and Ye, commonly known as Kanye West, before founding his self-named label in 2016. Since then, he has collaborated with Virgil Abloh’s Off-White, Carhartt, Calvin Klein and even the New York City Department of Sanitation.
“Heron Preston is a creative force in the industry and has distinguished himself as a multifaceted artist with a unique point of view and strong story to tell,” Daniel Herrmann, head of H&M menswear, said in a statement. “H2 was born from a like-minded vision between H&M and Heron, about the future of fashion but also how we must collaborate in new ways to achieve new goals. We are excited to show the world what we can build together.”
Preston’s H2 platform will release seasonal collections exploring concepts of durability, longevity and versatility, H&M said. It will work with an “open-source mindset,” the company added, sharing information throughout the design process and providing tools for customers to learn, participate and create for themselves.
H2 will also combine Heron’s mentorship with the Mugler collaborator’s resources, inviting new talent to co-create its products. The program will focus on young, self-taught creatives with “unique ideas and abilities,” but without access to traditional education and resources.
Additionally, H2 will provide a space for H&M to launch experimental circular projects, with the objective to test, learn and scale, the company said.
“H&M speaks to so many different types of people around the globe and is a brand for everyone,” Preston said in a statement. “I love to push the boundaries of what’s possible and felt like they were really interested in doing that with me. I admire a company as big as H&M that wants to take risks together because our shared belief is that real change must ultimately happen at a scale that touches ‘everyone.’”
H&M plans to share more information about the “numerous” Preston-led initiatives and collections in the coming months.
Last week, H&M revealed it was collaborating with the New York nonprofit Slow Factory on a five-year plan to promote industry-wide change, with a focus on human rights and climate justice. The partnership was the result of the company’s U.S. employees using a new “employee activism” fund to support Slow Factory’s social and environmental justice work.
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