Fashion designer Preston Boyer (’13) is introducing his fourth collection, “SAINT JOHNS,” a week before its online release with an on-campus runway show. This collection is inspired by the school uniform and Boyer’s high school experience and was previewed at New York Fashion Week: Men’s in July 2017. Boyer’s runway show will feature student models and is open to all students. The show will take place on Sept 16, from 7-9 pm in Flores Hall. 

The following is a repost of a Review Online article discussing Boyer’s career, originally posted on Jan. 11, 2017. Since this article was posted, Boyer has also been featured in several local media sources. 

By his junior year of high school, Preston Douglas Boyer (‘13) was making $500 a month from his Youtube channel, writing sneaker columns for Bun B’s radio show and styling rappers such as Chief Keef and Pusha T for their Houston concerts.

Now a fashion designer, Boyer has released two collections under his Preston Douglas brand while also taking classes at the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston. His first collection, “Calamity/Serenity,” was released to the public in February 2016 and has been worn by artists Travis Scott and Bun B. He presented his second and most recent collection, “Falling,” at the second Fashion HTX fashion show. A third collection is currently in the works.

Boyer has already accumulated notable experience in the sneaker and fashion industries at the age of 21, but his journey has not been easy.

In eighth grade, Boyer dealt with his father’s cancer diagnosis and being bullied at school. He began making Youtube sneaker videos to cope with his depression. Although his peers initially mocked the channel, they later admired Boyer after he gained popularity online and made profit from reselling shoes. His channel currently has over ten thousand followers.

“People started to see that I wasn’t joking around, and I was turning my Youtube and my reselling stuff into a business,” Boyer said. “People realized that I was actually onto something and started to respect me for following what I was passionate about.”

After graduating from St. John’s, Boyer attended Southern Methodist University for two months before withdrawing and moving back to Houston, where he enrolled in the Fashion Design school at Houston Community College.

In pursuit of inspiration, Boyer started to struggle with substance abuse.

“I thought drinking a lot, doing a lot of drugs and getting in trouble was part of the lifestyle I had to live to be creative,” Boyer said. “I thought I had to be a tormented soul in order to spew creativity because a lot of people who I looked up to in music and fashion lived what I perceived as lifestyles like that.”

Boyer decided to fight his addiction.

“I chased that lifestyle until the bitter end about two and half years ago when I decided I would quit and change my life together,” Boyer said. “Creativity comes from within your soul and adding all these chemicals to your body really is only taking away from that creativity.”

He transferred to the University of Houston’s Bauer Business School and entered the top-ranked Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship while expanding his Preston Douglas brand.

“I never would have considered going to UH from St. John’s because I felt like I would be looked down upon,” Boyer said. “I’ve been able to build my brand by asking for help, ignoring what I don’t agree with and still having the motivation to put in daily work.”

Boyer aspires to be a modern designer who combines luxury and street wear fashion. He is currently focused on producing more collections. Boyer has stopped collecting sneakers and clothes because he invests all of his money into his business.

“I design stuff that I wish I could buy,” Boyer said. “Part of that deprivation leads to my creativity.”

Far removed from his days of hunting down Nike SB’s in middle school, Boyer still follows Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It.”

“I started with Nikes and the Nike mantra has permeated my life.” Boyer said. “I believe my God and my energy will put me in the right place at the right time if I keep putting in the work while maintaining faith and positivity.”