Bro, 'Anything Goes' Heron Preston FW23

On Saturday 11th February, Heron Preston welcomed us into a deserted loft in Lower Manhattan. The cities’ mayhem sought comfort between those walls – we braced ourselves for the ride. The show opened with three men donned in orange safety vests, who spray painted white, blue and orange naked lines on the concrete. The applauses trickled, then filled the vacant loft. With the lines directing the eclectic pieces, Heron Preston ordered the chaos. He came back and honoured the vibrant characters that roamed the streets of his stomping ground- New York City.

In this debut New York show titled ‘Anything Goes’, Preston weaved in lost and found objects that are hidden between the city cracks. We saw materials like barbed wire, hardware metal and chainmail –that were inspired by fences enmeshed with his signature materials. This collection, compared to previous releases focused on personal style. This translated into Puffer coats, graphic tees, Varsity jackets, joggers with heels, button-downs with ties, utility vests over hoodies, bralettes over catsuits, chainmail slips and miniskirts. Indeed, the models that sauntered across the room became the colourful characters from Preston’s day-to-day street encounters.

To me, Preston is an intuitive observer. The collection was a psychedelic experience, realistic, with a balance of rusty elegance. For the first time in a long time, I believe fashion has come back to earth, Style is subjective. In which anything truly goes.