Grace Wales Bonner is a Perfect Fit for Hermès

By Asha Johnson, Senior Writer Edited by Ava Pettigrew

Luxury fashion brand Hermès has announced that designer Grace Wales Bonner will be their new creative director for their Men's Ready-to-Wear collections. Her first debut collection will be in January 2027. She will replace Veronique Nichanian, who held the position for 37 years. Bonner is the first Black woman to have this position at Hermès and will continue to work with her own namesake brand, Wales Bonner. This news has brought a lot of excitement to the fashion community as Bonner has become an indie favorite within the industry. When she started her brand, she brought a new modern approach to menswear while paying homage to her British-Jamaican heritage. With this approach to menswear, she’s the perfect fit for this position at Hermès. 

The announcement of Bonner joining the brand was a hope that she’d always had. In a 2019 interview with System Magazine, she expressed her desire to work for a heritage brand like Hermès, “I am interested in the idea of an institution and fashion having parameters. A house with heritage is interesting to me, because I am interested in a framework and then disrupting elements of classicism within that,” she said. “A dream of mine would be to work with a tailoring brand, as that is at the core of what I am doing. Maybe a brand like Hermès or even a Savile Row tailoring house.” 

Bonner got her start in fashion after graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2014. Upon graduating, she founded her namesake brand, Wales Bonner, which initially started as menswear before officially launching womenswear in 2018. The brand quickly gained traction, and the fashion industry had its eyes on what she was going to do next. In January 2015, she presented her debut collection, Ebonics, at Fashion East. She took inspiration from the Harlem Renaissance, and its campaign explored aspects of black masculinity and identity by incorporating black models of different ages and skin tones. The collection served as a love letter from Bonner to the rich cultures of Africa, the West Indies, and Black America. 

It blends fabrics and patterns such as pinstripes, silk, and crushed velvets, adding details like cowrie shells, Swarovski crystals, and pearls. Bonner incorporates tailoring with aspects of streetwear and athleisure. Despite this collection being considered menswear, Bonner’s designs can be seen as more gender neutral as she blends elements of feminine and masculine dressing, something that will become a standout in her future designs. That same year, in 2015, she won the Emerging Menswear Designer Award at the British Fashion Awards and the LVMH Prize for emerging designers the following year.

Bonner told System Magazine about this debut collection, “I was looking for sensual and beautiful representations of black masculinity across different time frames. I was thinking about the Harlem Renaissance and the idea of black genius. I was attempting to connect to a deep and rich world, one that linked to many different histories and times,” she said. “I started working with cowrie shells in the embroideries, so I was also thinking about different ideas of cultural currency and how you integrate these different signifying elements. That collection was starting to explore an idea of hybridity and the meeting point between certain couture and craft techniques.” 

Although she was popular within the industry, Bonner did not officially reach mainstream status until she collaborated with Adidas in 2020. This debut collection combined her own heritage with Adidas, drawing from unique design aspects of streetwear made from premium materials and a vibrant color palette. Inspired by her own Jamaican heritage, the designs were pulled from the 1970s and the Caribbean youth in London. The pieces feature embroidered and knitted details that push the boundaries of Adidas’ unique design elements. This partnership pushed the Samba silhouette back into the mainstream fashion scene again by cementing their popularity and demand. The collaboration between the sportswear giant and the designer continues to dominate seasonally. 

“It’s been brilliant working with Adidas. I’m always really drawn to brands that have a specific heritage – classicism, in a way. When I create something, what I try to do is a meeting point between two worlds. I like that [Adidas] really honors its history,” Bonner told Net-A-Porter. “The original intention of what something is gets transformed. I was interested in exploring that with them and also bringing some of these tailoring sensibilities or an eveningwear [aesthetic] into sportswear – bringing that beauty to something that you can wear every day.”  

Bonner has always appreciated brands that have built a strong identity for decades, and her hope is that her unique design expertise will bring something new and fresh to Hermès. Hermès is a brand that has been a powerhouse in the industry since the 1800s and has cultivated a rich history. They’re best known for their leather goods, including the Birkin Bag and equestrian accessories. The French atelier prides itself on craftsmanship, quality, and the production of sophisticated pieces. With her in-depth knowledge and research of black diasporic identities, Hermès will be able to explore more cultural references and motifs. Moreover, her ability to combine elegant tailoring with street fashion or activewear can appeal to new and existing consumers. 

By bringing her identity into her designs and being the first black woman to lead a luxury fashion house, Bonner continues to build upon the foundational need for Black representation in luxury fashion. Lately, the luxury fashion space has fallen flat in terms of diversity, constantly exchanging white male creative directors from brand to brand, without considering the plethora of untapped talent and expertise that the industry has to offer. According to Vogue Business, out of the 15 newly appointed creative director fashion show debuts this year, three were female and one was a person of color. Even with the words “diversity” and “inclusion” always being thrown around, the fashion industry still suffers from introducing different perspectives, representation, and voices in higher positions. 

Hermès placing Bonner at the forefront of their menswear department represents a change of pace that luxury fashion needs. Not only does she have experience in collaboration and menswear through her own brand, but she has also been able to frame her artistic vision in a unique way. Her design choices have provided a sense of heritage and youthfulness that some luxury fashion brands are missing. This creative collaboration between Bonner and Hermès will serve as a stepping stone to expanding Hermes’ menswear market while simultaneously adding value to the brand’s historic position in the fashion industry.

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