Johanna Preston - Designer at Preston Zly

23/07/2026

WHO SHOULD BE THE NAMESAKE?

Here she is - Style 1 of Tenera Armatura, in her true colour.

At Preston Zly, our shoes are more than just footwear - they tell stories. And every great story needs a name.

This one takes her toe shape from an old favourite, her structure from another, and her fine hand-stitched strapping from a third - bringing it all together into something you’ll want to reach for every single day.

So we’re asking: who is she? Picture the woman who wears this pair on a Tuesday and a Saturday alike - sculptural, but never precious. Someone who could wear it to work and then out for dinner without a second thought.

Who should carry her name? Who would own her?

And while you’re here - we still want your colour thoughts too. Drop both below: her name, and the colours you’re picturing her in.

23/07/2026

A little less hidden today.

Still no colours confirmed - that’s Monday’s job - but here’s a proper look at her shape.

What colours do you want to see her in? Name them below - we’re reading every single one.

22/07/2026

NEW STYLE. YOUR COLOURS. YOU DECIDE.

She borrows her toe shape from an old favourite, her strap from another, and brings it all together into something entirely new.

The first style from Tenera Armatura is stepping out - and as always, you get a say in what she becomes. Her colours, her name, all of it.

Pre-orders open Wednesday 29 July. Mark your calendar.

What colours do you want to see her in? Drop a 🤍 if you’re already half in love.

18/07/2026

A few of you have asked what’s still available from Cipher & Line - so here’s where things stand across the whole collection.

There are still some pairs left, in some of the colourways you voted for.

Grace, sleek and grounded in cobalt. Moira, all black-and-gold precision. Giselle, unmistakable in her woven platform. Francesca, geometric and a little unexpected. Sinead, buckled and ready for anything. Westwood, tasselled and effortlessly sharp.

Named for six inspirational women. Six moods, for all the women you are.

If one of these has been sitting in your mind, this is the moment.

Shop the collection - link in bio.

16/07/2026

Yes, we know - for a lot of you, this is the depths of winter. But there’s light coming.

Very soon we’re opening our spring/summer collection for pre-order: Tenera Armatura - Italian for tender armour.

Armour, because how we dress has always been how we meet the world. Tender, because this collection has some genuinely beautiful moments - light, feminine, a little whimsical in places. Something joyous to carry you through to the other side of winter.

Six styles. More very soon.

15/07/2026

Sound on!

I’ve been a bit quiet here lately - I’ve been travelling, and I owe you a small apology for going dark without a word.

One of the reasons: two nights ago Petr and I saw a site-specific live sound and light performance in the medieval village of Caunes-Minervois, France. It opened with chant - old, reverent, very religious, and spine tingling - then morphed into spoken word matched by video images. By the end the rhythms had shifted and the vocals were influenced by tribal African and Middle Eastern styles. All of it held inside walls that have stood for centuries.

I didn’t expect to feel it the way I did. And I didn’t expect something so incredibly sophisticated in a town of less than 2,000 people!

Everything at Preston Zly is running exactly as it should while I’m away - my sister Edwina and my daughter Blanche have the shop and your orders completely covered. I might just be a little slower than usual replying, that’s all.

More soon.

22/06/2026

The Vintage Vault opens this Friday. 7am. Online only. Three days, then it’s locked up again.

This is where the styles that shaped us come to find new homes. Pieces from past collections, shoes our customers still talk about years later. Prices up to 75% off.

If you don’t see your size in your preferred colourway - it doesn’t exist. No restocks. Ever.

Friday 26 June. 7am. Set an alarm. 🖤

08/06/2026

We’ve spent years avoiding trends. So it’s with some amusement that we find ourselves accidentally making the ballet flat of the moment - except ours actually works. Lucette is on sale now. Link in bio. 🖤

08/06/2026

New arrival in the showroom. Petr’s latest sculpture is settling in nicely alongside the shoes. Come and see us. 🖤

06/06/2026