Heron Preston Men’s Fall 2019
“This all came from TSA’s Instagram,” said Heron Preston of the staging of his inaugural runway show, titled “Night Shift,” held at the Palais de Tokyo, which was decorated like an airport terminal complete with guard dogs with muzzles on the stairs, an X-ray machine, and CCTV surveillance cameras.
“It comes from exploring TSA culture, I travel a lot around the world, and so that’s a part of my life,” added the designer, who also projected images of “objects people frequently try to travel with” onto the site’s walls, including a lobster, oddly enough, and a pot of paint, as well as prohibited items like water and screwdrivers.
Related stories
Nordstrom Reports 1.3 Percent Holiday Sales Gain
Fashion Bolsters Investment Case at ICR
Pound Volatile as U.K. Parliament Shoots Down May's Brexit Plan
Toking on a suspicious looking cigarette, American rapper Gunna, who took in the show alongside the likes of Preston’s bestie, Virgil Abloh, Offset, Futura and a pink-haired Maisie Williams, perfumed the air with something that would definitely have been confiscated.
“I feel good, very excited about the whole fashion show,” drawled the rapper, who wore his best blinged-out choker by Elliot Avianne for the occasion.
Opening with a women’s look, with the collection split 50-50, models passed through the metal detectors and did a tour of the runway before passing their bags through the X-ray machine.
They were dressed in variations of the same uniform, Preston’s obsession, with streetwear and variations of worker garb for the men and sexy streetwear (read tight) offset with workwear-inspired items for the ladies. (One look, in particular, combining a black body, supertight sheer corset and tight black leggings, a yellow puffer jacket hanging off the shoulders, conjured Kim Kardashian.)
A new range of black leather items included a women’s safari jacket, worn belted and buttoned up over a zipped top, and tricked out with industrial details like the pull tag on the belt.
A lot of the men’s looks were based on security worker uniforms, but the bright palette, like red and workwear blue, meant it never felt austere. The primary logo for the collection was an adaptation of the Securitas three-dot design, with three ovals and Preston’s Cyrillic style logo.
Footwear went from reflective boots to surfer-style Uggs, as well as a new black Nike sneaker.
The designer’s sustainability bent took flight in the pieces made from decommissioned parachute silks, including a women’s coat with a safety-orange collar and graphic accents bands, worn with a slim ribbed knit pant, which was among the highlights.
As was her male alter ego’s look: A parachute parka with a matching military pant with cargo pockets and a metal-head festival T-shirt depicting a skull made of flames.
A silhouette pairing orange pants and a plain-looking black shirt with patch pockets highlighted with blue stitching, with a logo tag on the sleeve and a barbed wire chain necklace, had more of a rapper feel to it, albeit a cleaned up version, with music — Preston’s other love — also fueling the fun party energy of the show. The event, while marking the next step for the designer, was just as much about the experience and sense of community.
Launch Gallery: Heron Preston Men's Fall 2019
Get more from WWD: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
