Heron Preston on the state of streetwear and going D2C

In the 2010s, designers like Heron Preston disrupted high-end fashion by introducing streetwear. The American designer and DJ was part of the movement that has shaped modern luxury, but his name has only recently reemerged in the public eye. Launched under New Guards Group (NGG) in 2017, Preston’s eponymous brand was never in his control. Quickly gaining recognition for functional pieces, it was one of the protagonists of bringing graphics, utility-wear, and hoodies into high-end fashion. There were collaborations with Carhartt WIP and NASA. But, management was determining its growth. By 2019, NGG was acquired by Farfetch for $675M, folding his brand into an even larger scaling machine. Instability followed. Farfetch struggled, was effectively rescued and sold to Coupang in late 2023, and by November 2024, NGG had filed for bankruptcy protection amid restructuring. During that period, Preston’s brand stalled, as he operated inside a system that was ultimately in charge of his career destiny. Fast forward to July 2025, and he has bought back all the rights to his name and label, ending a messy, prolonged fight for ownership. Yet, he’s returned to the industry as a streetwear icon in an era when the boundaries between subcultures and mainstream aesthetics have blurred, and sneakers or tracksuits are often released by prestigious luxury houses. Just as streetwear’s rebellion evolved to become normcore, Preston’s back with an evolved identity too. Sitting down with Jing Daily, the designer discusses his desire for timeless fashion, taking a new direction with a direct-to-consumer approach, and what it means to have full control over the business. Jing Daily: You’ve spoken about reclaiming your name as both a legal and personal journey. How has full ownership reshaped your decision-making as a founder versus when the brand sat within a larger group? Heron Preston: Reclaiming my name brought me to a place where I could revisit the original intentions behind why I started a brand. I could tap back into my authentic self. When I was within the larger group, I was fulfilling other people's expectations. It didn’t feel right. I wasn’t having fun. Now, every decision I make is anchored in authorship — what I stand for, what I want to say, and how I want to say it. When a brand sits within a larger system, decisions naturally become more consensus driven and growth-oriented. It’s all about the bottom line. There is the agenda of the larger machine and that is the agenda you must follow. For someone like me, that was soul sucking. I didn’t have any decision making power or control. Now, the lens is different. I’m thinking long-term — about legacy, about cultural contribution, about building something that can evolve without losing its core. I have a family now. I’m a new parent. Girl dad! I think about my daughter’s future. Ownership has allowed me to move at my own pace, slow things down a bit, be present, think deeper, be more precise, and make choices that prioritize meaning over momentum. JD: Was your disappearance from the spotlight intentional, or have you been busy pursuing something beyond fashion? HP: It was a bit of both. There was an intentional step back from the spotlight to create space — to think, to reset, and to rebuild without noise. To grow into my new self. I had to redirect my energy. I felt like my journey to freedom was sacred. Something I had to do alone. I went through all kinds of emotions. I was angry. I was depressed. I was confused. I was scared. I had never gone through a legal battle and this one was really intense for me. I was literally up against a massive corporation with more resources than me and deeper pockets. I felt like they purposely tried to damage me. Most creatives in similar situations lose their brands and ideas to predatory practices. It’s brutal. Because of that fight, peace was more valuable than my presence in the spotlight. I chose myself. I chose love. I chose my safety and security. I focused on my family. My health and well being. I learned that my energy was limited and not everyone deserved access to it. I discovered something powerful. Solitude was my way of healing. Protecting my mental space from unnecessary noise. After a long and draining week of legal calls with my advisors, I found happiness in spending Friday nights recharging at home with my wife and new born baby rather than going out and forcing a smile. That period allowed me to shift from reacting to the industry to actually redefining my place within it. Are you familiar with “Maslow’s hierarchy of needs”, the 5 basic needs that motivate human behavior? I think that’s a great way to describe what I was focused on during these past couple of years. JD: How has your relationship with the fashion industry changed since the start of your career? HP: In the beginning, I was excited by access — being part of the system, contributing to it, and pushing it forward from within. Now, I’m more interested in independence. I still respect the industry, but I don’t feel the need to follow its pace or its rules in the same way. My relationship has become more selective. JD: Talk to us about your brand's relaunch. HP: The relaunch is less about returning and more about refining. We are still young at heart, elevated and culturally obsessed. The brand however is much more mature now. We’ve grown up. There are codes that were established that we are dedicated to pushing forward. For example, all of the innovative sustainable work we do — both experimental and commercial. Graphics are still a major component to how we storytell, but this time, not so much in your face. Not as loud. Everyday wear is at the forefront. I am drawn to timelessness. Comfortable garments engineered to live, age, and evolve prioritizing longevity over “spectacle” or hype. City clothes coded in workwear, military and sport. Product is still important, but it’s part of a larger ecosystem that includes research, storytelling, and real-world impact. Music, sport (movement), food and beverage, objects and experiences will also be folded into the ecosystem in ways I was not able to do previously. JD: What strategic trade-offs have you made in terms of scale, distribution, or partnerships to maintain creative and operational control? HP: The biggest trade-off has been speed and scale. I’m choosing to grow more slowly and more deliberately, even if that means fewer doors or fewer drops in the short term. Distribution is more curated, and partnerships are more aligned with the long-term vision. It’s about building a structure that can sustain itself creatively and operationally, rather than chasing expansion for its own sake. At the moment, we are focused solely on direct to consumer via heronpreston.com. JD: The idea of a designer’s name becoming detached from the person is common in fashion — how are you actively preventing that disconnect this time around? HP: For me, it starts with presence and accountability. I’m much more directly involved in every layer of the brand—from concept to execution to communication. There’s a tighter feedback loop between my ideas and what people experience. But most importantly protection! Protection is key here. I now have a great team of advisors. I own 100% of my trademarks! Ownership is key here. JD: You emerged from a moment when streetwear disrupted luxury. Now that the lines are blurred, where do you see the next frontier of cultural value in fashion? HP: The next frontier is more power in the hands of the people. To shape the industry and build an industry they wish existed. We’ve seen disruption at the level of aesthetics and branding. There were new players on the field that had never been there before. But now, I think you have people with large enough audiences to shift the tide and rewrite the rules. Take some of the power back from the industrial complex. I think the opportunity is to rethink how things are made, distributed, and understood — supply chains, materials, transparency, events, ownership and even entertainment. Power to the people! It’s time to shake the system and do it our way. JD: Is streetwear dead? HP: Streetwear isn’t dead — it’s just no longer a subculture. It’s globally consumed at a mass level. It’s been absorbed into the broader language of fashion, which means it can’t function in the same disruptive way it once did. What made it powerful was its connection to real communities and real moments. Now the question is: what’s the next authentic expression of culture? That’s where the energy will come from. JD: Are collaborations still cool? HP: They can be, but only when there’s real intention behind them. At one point, collaborations became a formula for attention. Now audiences are more aware — they can tell when something is forced. The collaborations that resonate today are the ones that create something new, bring different worlds together in a meaningful way, and feel necessary rather than strategic money grabs. JD: Do you have plans to take the brand to Asia? What’s your fanbase like in East Asia? HP: There’s a deep level of cultural engagement in places like Korea, Japan, and China — even the Philippines! Asia has always been an important part of the brand’s community. I did a tour back in 2017 and there were several stops in Asia, like Tokyo and Seoul. I’ve also done events in Shanghai and Hong Kong. People really connect with the ideas behind the work, not just the product. That level of awareness is inspiring. Moving forward, I’m interested in building more direct relationships in the region — through collaborations, storytelling, and experiences that are locally relevant rather than just exported. It’s not just about re-entering a market, it’s about participating in a cultural exchange. I cannot wait to connect with everyone in Asia again, I miss it. I have a lot of friends over there who I miss dearly and doors I used to sell in. It’s time to rebuild and reconnect! Jing Daily presents Jing Masterminds — a regular, exclusive interview series profiling today’s most iconic names in art, fashion, commerce and culture. Delving deep into their personal journeys, creative processes, business strategies and societal impacts, the series offers readers an intimate look at the lives and minds shaping our industries.

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Heron Preston on the state of streetwear and going D2C

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag