Keith Herron, 25, is expected to debut his newest collection, “Return of the Space Cowboy,” on Feb. 15.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Keith Herron used to sell shirts out of his backpack in middle school.
The Sacramento native, then 13, wanted to take part in the streetwear movement happening at the time, and his mom said he should invest in himself rather than other people.
“I believe she said that as a joke, but I went straight to the other room and began designing my first brand,” he said.
Herron, now 25, said he will debut a new, narrative-driven collection, “Return of the Space Cowboy,” next month at New York Fashion Week. His Feb. 15 slot will mark the fifth time his designs have featured at the event.
The brand he founded, Advisry, currently based in New York City, produces full menswear and womenswear collections.
Over the years, his designs have been worn by musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Tyler the Creator and Kid Cudi; athletes Stephen Curry and Malik Monk; as well as actress Greta Lee.
Herron has appeared in a Times Square Spotify advertisement promoting his curated mixtape; Advisry also engages in filmmaking and music curation.
Additionally, the late Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White and artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s menswear, once posted Advisry T-shirts from the Louis Vuitton studio ahead of his first show with the luxury brand.
“That felt very symbolic to me, that not only was my work being embraced by this giant in this field that I’m entering for the first time… but he was also putting it into the context of the largest brand in the world,” Herron said. “He was posting this directly from the Louis Vuitton headquarters, and I had my pieces in that room, and that was, like, a huge moment for me.”
A brief ‘Advisry’ Timeline
Starting out, Herron said he first went from heat press to screen printing, screen printing to embroidery, then embroidery to cut and sew after he got the hang of working with all types of blanks.
By the time Herron graduated high school in 2018, he said he had produced his first fully cut-and-sewn collection.
He wanted to move to either New York or Los Angeles after high school, he said.
“The brand was something that I wanted to continue doing, but I didn’t know if my parents would allow me to do that without an academic path also happening simultaneously,” Herron said. “So, I ended up going to Fordham University in New York, and I chose New York because it sounded like more of a challenge and more of a change coming from Sacramento.”
Herron said he tried to drop out after about a year and a half because the pandemic hit and he wanted to focus on fashion. Until that point, he said he was studying film in this separate world from what he actually wanted to do.
Then, he connected with Gucci executive Antoine Phillips.
Phillips reportedly told Herron if he did not drop out of school, he could become an intern at Gucci.
The internship, and Gucci’s embracing of Herron, gave him the confidence that his dream was possible, he said. It also pushed him to branch out.
“That’s what made me want to take the leap into the contemporary design space, rather than staying within the streetwear bubble,” Herron said.
In September 2023, Herron produced his first unisex collection and saw his first runway show on the official New York Fashion Week calendar in coordination with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, he said.
What inspires ‘Advisry’?
Despite his New York ties, Herron does not forget his Sacramento origins.
“I feel like there’s this like ease that comes with living in California,” he said. “I want to make the tailoring that feels as easy to wear as like a regular shirt, because that’s how we like to dress in our day-to-day in California.”
He credits his parents as major role models in his life and is thankful to Greta Gerwig for representing him and Sacramento on the silver screen.
Herron said he appreciates support he’s received from the Sacramento Kings, specifically Malik Monk. As a basketball fan, getting to work with the NBA in any capacity is truly special, he said.
“I had dreams of making it to the league,” Herron said. “Obviously, that didn’t work out, but I was able to do so in a different way that I could not imagine when I was a kid.
In his designs, Herron said he loves to use Western cultural references, denim, flannel fabrics and likes to include American iconography.
Advisry, he says, is a reflection of an artistic lifestyle.
“We have this one motif, which is like this hand glove motif that we put on a multitude of garments,” Herron said. “It’s reflective of the craft of art, not just the art itself, but the actual craft of creating art, which is typically done by hands.”
Herron wants Advisry to be a canvas with which people feel like they can create rather than feeling boxed into a specific persona by wearing it, he said.
“Inherently, my artistic practice is always going to be a reflection of my personal philosophies and values. However, I believe that the role of the artist is to embody the philosophies of a generation,” he said.
He designs with creators in mind, like filmmakers, photographers, musicians or DJs.
Advisry also dabbles in filmmaking, and Herron said he’s made music videos for major artists.
Last month, New Zealand singer and songwriter Benee released the official music video for her song “Princess,” directed by Herron. Benee, perhaps best known for her 2019 single “Supalonely,” which saw major success on TikTok, is Herron’s significant other.
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