LOCAL Houston | The City Guide June 2017 | Page 58

STYLE + LEISURE
FAST FASHION WITH PRESTON BOYER
A FEW WORDS WITH THE DESIGNER
Preston Douglas, designed by West University resident Preston Boyer, is a Houston-based luxury clothing and
lifestyle brand that draws inspiration from street wear and high-end fashion while aiming to blur the lines between
the two markets. At a young age (and still in school at the University of Houston), Boyer’s got things all sewn up.
At what point did you know that you had a talent for fashion?
I started collecting sneakers when I was 13 and that eventually led me into luxury
footwear around 15/16. I fell in love with sneakers from Lanvin, Balenciaga and
Christian Louboutin. This led me into the luxury menswear market and I instantly
fell in love. I began buying pieces from Givenchy, Balmain and Dior, and became
fascinated with pairing luxury pieces with traditional streetwear. I started styling
musicians when I was about 17 and quickly realized that I would rather construct
my vision from pieces I designed. I took my first sewing class during my senior
year of high school – on weekends at the Glassell School. That began my three-
year journey until finally launching my company in January 2016.
Do you think it’s an innate talent or something you learned?
Both. It definitely starts with some sort of creative vision/talent, but it has to be
put into practice. I learn from putting my vision/talent out into the world because
there are inevitable mistakes and failures throughout the process. It turns into a
cycle that feeds off each other. Each collection I am able to express more of my
raw vision because of what I learned from the previous collections.
Who are the designers you like and/or follow?
Chrisopher Decarnin, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Raf Simons, Kim Jones, Rick Owens,
Yves Saint Laurent, Coco Chanel and Hedi Slimane.
Do you think Houston has a viable fashion design community?
Not right now.
Describe your own personal style.
Ever-changing. Each of my collections represents my ideal personal style at that
moment in time. All of my money goes back into the business and therefore I
do not buy clothes anymore. Part of this consumeristic repression leads me to
design pieces that I wish I had, which ultimately makes me a much more effective
designer. Overall, I have become less stylish since launching my brand and being
a full-time designer – and now understand why many of my favorite designers
come out wearing a black tee and jeans after a runway show.
What’s the one key piece every stylish guy needs?
Black leather biker jacket.
Where do you look for inspiration/find inspiration for your next collection?
I’m always subconsciously looking for inspiration from an aesthetic perspective.
The hours spent scrolling through Instagram and scouring my favorite fashion
websites definitely affect what I design. However, the emotional component of a
collection, which dictates when and why I design a collection, always finds me.
By Tim Moloney
Photography by Anthony Rathbun
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| june 17