We love a multi-hyphenate, and Heron Preson is the quintessential one. The fashion  designer, who is up for Emerging Designer of the Year at Monday’s CFDA Fashion Awards, is also a DJ, a consultant, an art director, and a collaborator. The San Francisco native channels all these experiences into his sport- and streetwear collection, which has wowed us from day one.

The Parsons graduate also worked for Nike and was a creative director for Kanye West, contributing to Yeezy and the The Life of Pablo merchandise.

Preston’s early inspiration came via his police officer father – his first collection serie, in September 2016, was called Uniform and delivered via zero-waste themed clothes and accessories in collaboration with New York City’s Department of Sanitation. Other collaborations Carhartt, Virgil Abloh’s Off-White, Nike, NASA, and Levi’s. We caught up with Heron on his journey that led him to Monday’s CFDA Fashion Awards.

When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in fashion?

I never really intentionally pursued a career specifically in fashion, but I knew I wanted to work in a creative industry. I feel like this probably started in high school. I had a T-shirt line with a friend of mine and we actually started to sell them in stores. That was the very beginning of when I started to make product. I moved to NYC for Parsons and I’d say my that’s when my creativity somewhat expanded into photography and video. This was during the earlier stages of using social media as a platform by leveraging content. So I would kind of stumble on these opportunities just based on the strength of my ambition and passion to be involved creatively. I didn’t study fashion in college and never really saw myself as a disciplined fashion designer. I was always a fan of product, personal style, logos, and clothes, and just looking fresh. In a way, the fashion industry found me through the various projects and jobs I was involved in, and so I embraced it.

How did your San Francisco upbringing influence your aesthetic?

I grew up skateboarding. That was my life. Skate culture. Hip hop music. All I did was watch skate videos and obsess over them. The style, the skaters and the lifestyle which music was heavily a part of. From rap to reggae to metal and rock n roll….this is what I identified with as a kid growing up in SF. If it weren’t for skate and music, I probably wouldn’t have ended up where I am today.

What’s your fashion philosophy today?

Break the rules and rewrite them.

What were some key moments that got you to this point?

Never giving up and pushing forward ideas that were really hard to do and unfamiliar to most. You have to be your biggest fan and believe in your ideas for them to work and ultimately for others to believe in them. I think my collaboration with the DSNY was a good example of that and turning point for my career.

Which people played a key role in your journey?

My friend Virgil for sure. He was always super supportive of my ideas and really believed in me. Because of him, I started to work under Kanye for a couple of years. And because of Virgil, I was able to launch my own collection. Shortly after he had launched Off-White, he put me in touch with his Italian partners at NGG, who then became my partners to launch my collection.

What are you looking forward to the most at this year’s CFDA Awards?

Just to embrace the moment. I’ve always felt like an outsider within this industry. So to finally be recognized and included in this moment is pretty special.

What will you be doing during your Lyft ride to the Brooklyn Museum on June 3?

Most likely staring out the window people-watching. I love to observe the streets when I’m moving around. As a designer, our journey is full of inspiration and it comes in all walks of life. I think it’s important to constantly be aware of your surroundings. You never know what you’ll see or come across that could inspire your next collection or special project.