Heron Preston has been killing it for the better part of a decade. Skateboarder, designer, disc jockey, artist, collaborator with Virgil Abloh, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and founder of his own eponymous brand, the list is endless and annoyingly impressive considering that he’s just 40. But the one sense yet to have been tackled by the Californian Renaissance man is smell, until now.
A loyal servant to his never-ending curiosity, Preston recently dove headfirst into the world of haute perfumeries, collaborating with his creative partner (and mother of his new baby), Sabrina Albarello, and legendary French perfumery marque, Henry Jacques. Together with Henry Jacques CEO, Anne-Lise Cremona, the trio meticulously tried and tested the newest edition of the In All Intimacy collection over a two-year period, landing on something that Heron Preston proudly describes as: “very Heron.”
ESQ: So, what exactly does Heron smell like?
Heron Preston: “I think that means there’s a sort of unique texture to the fragrance. I’m very particular with my attention to detail, and there was one point where I designed 17 different version of the fragrance just because of how determined I was to land on this one particular mood I was trying to capture. I wanted it to feel airy, light, and soft—beautiful, but also complex and deep. It took two years to get to the finish line, and when we did, we finally realised that it was a very Heron scent. I didn’t want something that felt commercial or familiar, because that’s not who I am as a designer. I like to do things that are unexpected, unfamiliar and unpredictable.
ESQ: Where did you source the different scents from?
Heron Preston: Have you heard of Ambergris? It’s this waxy, hard substance that floats across the ocean surface, and it’s literally vomit from a sperm whale. And fisherman collect these rocks of vomit because they’re a luxury in the perfume world.It has this almost tangy smell, kind of like blue cheese. But it’s such a mind-bending scent because it smells good even though it’s still stinky, and that’s what stuck in my brain. But we didn’t actually get to use it in ours, sadly.
Anne-Lise Cremona: Actually, there is some Ambergris in your perfume! We use it in all our scents through various infusions. Today in France, whenever anybody is looking for Ambergris they know that Henry Jacques is the only company that has it, because it’s so very hard to get. I remember Heron being in our lab in the south of France, and he was physically jumping because he was so excited. It was amazing to see.
Sabrina Albarello: That’s how he is with everything. He’s very curious, probably more so than me. I know what I like immediately. But Heron likes to explore, to learn more about everything. And I think that really shows in his perfume.
ESQ: Have you ever sworn by a routine in order to get into a creative flow?
Heron Preston: If you open your eyes and the first thing you see is Instagram…that can ruin your whole day. So whatever you do, don’t look at Instagram as soon as you wake up. If you can stay away from your phone for the first hour, good. I read this book about monks, and the first thing they do in the morning is open the window and let the old air out and the fresh air in. Sabrina and I now call it monk mornings. That, and I have this tiny little handheld vacuum that I’m obsessed with, and if I can’t do some vacuuming in the morning,
I just feel off.
ESQ: As new parents, what are some things you’ve learned about yourself?
Heron Preston: That there’s no time to waste. Whatever you need to do, do it now. Our daughter is the biggest motivator to not linger and get stuff done.
Sabrina Albarello: Everything about her is so pure, so fresh, she hasn’t been exposed to anything in the world, and that just feels so inspiring to be around.
