H&M and Heron Preston Team Up for 'Experimental' Partnership

Men’s fashion could always use more risk, and no one creates more of a fashion stir than designer and artist Heron Preston. In a new deal announced in early September, Preston will take over the position of Creative Menswear Advisor for megacorp H&M for the launch of a new project.

The goal of the H2 platform is to give new designers opportunity, improve the brand’s environmental footprint, and shape the future of fashion for a wider audience. In what has been described as a “long-term partnership,” Preston will provide creative direction for the mammoth fashion brand’s menswear line exclusively. Not only that, but he also plans to create his own collections to sell under his and the brand’s name. In a statement released this week, Preston spoke about what drew him to H&M and the challenge of the project.“I always say, the face of fashion is all of us. H&M speaks to so many different types of people around the globe and is a brand for everyone. I love to push the boundaries of what’s possible and felt like they were really interested in doing that with me."

For a designer whose line is valued at a high cost, the move has certainly surprised. For context, on Preston’s personal line’s website, a tee shirt is valued between $337 and $486. Preston’s decision to collaborate with the reasonably priced brand will usher in a wave of high-fashion quality for regular prices. As Preston shared in his statement,"real change must ultimately happen at a scale that touches ‘everyone.’” Preston also praises H&M for its willingness to “take risks” in the name of fashion, even when they are catering to a wide audience.

The head of menswear at H&M, Daniel Hermann spoke about the collaboration and their decision to include Preston in the launch of H2. “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. 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."