Prominent streetwear designer Heron Preston has taken on the role of Creative Menswear Advisor for H&M. The trend of fast fashion brands collaborating with Black high-fashion designers is on the rise. Preston and H&M will be converging into a long-term partnership that Preston says is like a “Collab 2.0.,” according to Highsnobiety. The designer will have a seasonal capsule collection release for the brand’s menswear line calling their partnership “H2.”
This goes against the status quo of a usual collaboration, focusing on long-term impact rather than a brief burst of hype. While high and fast fashion brands have a history of collaborating, this particular partnership could pave the way for unforeseen innovations in the fashion industry.
Preston’s responsibilities in his new role spans across all of the menswear from consulting, curation, and designing. Having his hand in all aspects of menswear is bound to enhance H&M’s existing mainline offerings in addition to his own capsule collections. As he takes on the role of curator for H&M’s talent, this will create opportunities for his contemporaries to collaborate with the brand as well.
“The idea here is to work together to participate in changing the course of fashion for the better. We’re starting small and experimenting with new processes and concepts,” Preston said to Highsnobiety. “It’s bigger than the product. The idea is to [eventually] share with the industry how to create closed-loop systems.”
H2 will debut in 2024 with a capsule collection by Preston and a newfound innovative eye. Stay tuned for more details.