HERON PRESTON RETURNS TO DJ BOOTH WITH VIRGIL ABLOH CUSTOM CDJS

The Circle Back

Heron Preston co-founded the men's streetwear brand Been Trill alongside Virgil Abloh long before either name meant anything to fashion buyers. Now, seven years after his last major DJ appearance, Preston is circling back to where it all started.

The custom CDJs in question are transparent, unlabeled versions of Pioneer's CDJ-2000NXS2 designed by Abloh "to inspire a different sound while DJing" and were exhibited at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art from June to September 2019. Abloh sent the custom equipment to friends and collaborators including Benji B and Peggy Gou as part of what Pioneer called the "Pioneer DJ c/o Virgil Abloh" project.

From Decks To Design Empire

Been Trill was formed by Virgil Abloh, Heron Preston, Matthew Williams, YWP, Florencia Galarza, and Justin Saunders, leveraging their connections to build what became one of the hottest brands in streetwear within about a year. Florencia Galarza was the only member who had prior DJing experience, making the collective's rapid ascent even more remarkable.

Preston worked DJ events for brands like GQ, Ford, Sprite, and Supreme, participating in major festivals including Coachella, Ultra and Fool's Gold Day Off. In 2016, he released ONE HUNDO, a mixtape including music from Zomby, Kanye West, Beyoncé and Drake.

But fashion called louder. Preston debuted his namesake label at Paris Fashion Week in 2017, backed by New Guards Group. Recent collaborations with Nike and Gap reflect his ability to stay plugged into both mainstream and avant-garde markets.

The Independence Play

Timing matters here. In 2025, Preston regained full control of his brand from New Guards Group, suggesting he now has the bandwidth to pursue multiple creative outlets simultaneously. The fashion designer who once never really saw himself as a disciplined fashion designer has proven he can build and scale a global brand.

Preston's work is about more than clothing; it's commentary on culture, responsibility, and the intersections of fashion and the real world. His trajectory from documenting New York streets to Paris runways illustrates how streetwear became the new establishment.

What DJ Culture Lost

When A$AP Rocky rapped "I ain't really fuckin' with that Been Trill" in 2013, it marked the end of an era. The collective that mercilessly leveraged celebrity connections to create huge amounts of hype scattered to build individual empires.

Virgil continued building Off-White into one of fashion's most influential labels. Matthew Williams started Alyx (now 1017 ALYX 9SM) and eventually became creative director at Givenchy in 2020. Preston built his sustainable streetwear empire.

What DJ culture lost was a collective that understood how to move between worlds. As Pioneer noted, Abloh "boldly connects various art forms, demonstrating unlimited creative possibilities," which "embodies DJing".

The Return Signal

Preston's "B2B anyone?" isn't just nostalgia. It's a temperature check on whether the culture is ready for a founder who has spent the last decade learning how to build lasting institutions instead of viral moments.

Throughout his career, Preston worked closely with Virgil Abloh, earning praise from fashion icons like Bella Hadid and Justin Bieber. Now, with Abloh gone and Preston's fashion empire stabilized, the timing feels intentional.

The question isn't whether Heron Preston can still DJ. It's whether the culture needs the version of him that emerges from a decade of building something that lasts.

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