Designer Heron Preston has teamed up with the all-electric Formula E championship to merge sustainable fashion with high-performance motorsport.. This partnership focuses on material innovation, featuring a custom-designed GEN4 car and a preview capsule of apparel rooted in recycled textiles.
The eX-Ray recycled cotton and deadstock fabrics in the preview capsule
The collaboration introduces a preview collection consisting of hoodies, long-sleeves, and T-shirts. As WWD reported, these garments are built using the designer's "eX-Ray" concept, which utilizes recycled cotton derived from production scraps and pre-consumer factory offcuts, alongside deadstock fabrics from previous Heron Preston collections.
This approach is part of what Heron Preston describes as "L.E.D." (less environmentally destructive) products. By applying a metaphorical X-ray vision to the supply chain, the Heron Preston brand aims to examine every layer of a garment—from the raw material source to the people involved in manufacturing—to create a benchmark for the rest of the label's production.
Orange chrome and 600kW Max Power: The look of the GEN4 car
Beyond the clothing, the partnership extends to the machinery of the track. The GEN4 Formula E car features a distinct exterior design by Heron Preston, characterized by his signature orange hue paired with matte and chrome accents. the car's livery includes text-based graphics that highlight tecnical achievements, specifically noting "600kW Max Power" and the use of "Zero Rare Earth Minerals."
This visual identity reflects a broader philosophy of "building things honestly," according to the report. By stripping away the pretense and focusing on real function and materials, Heron Preston is aligning the aesthetic of the GEN4 car with the utilitarian nature of his streetwear.
A decade of upcycling meeting the electric motorsport shift
This partnership is not an isolated event but the culmination of ten years of upcycling work by Heron Preston. The move mirrors a wider cultural shift where luxury fashion is increasingly intersecting with sustainable technology and niche sports, moving away from traditional sponsorship toward deep material integration .
By partnering with Formula E, Heron Preston is positioning his brand within a sport that is actively attempting to re-engineer the environmental impact of racing. This alignment suggests that the future of "luxury" in the eyes of Gen Z and Millennial consumers is no longer about exclusivity alone , but about the transparency of the production process and the reduction of ecological footprints.
Will carbon fiber and racing metals actually become wearable accessories?
While the current capsule relies on cotton and deadstock, the long-term ambition is far more experimental. Heron Preston has expressed a desire to recover materials directly from the sport, such as metals and carbon fiber from Formula E cars, to transform them into design pieces. However, as WWD reported, these efforts have not yet begun.
Several critical details remain unknown as the partnership evolves. There is currently no information regarding the pricing of the eX-Ray collection, the scale of its production, or how the garments will be distributed to the public. Furthermore, the wider product roadmap for fan merchandise and accessories is still being developed, leaving it unclear when the more ambitious "car-to-closet" materials will actually hit the market.
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