Grace Wales Bonner at Hermès: What to expect from her 2027 menswear collection
Behind Grace Wales Bonner’s appointment as Hermès menswear Creative Director: exploring her Afro-Atlantic heritage, Adidas co-labs, and IM mentorship
Grace Wales Bonner’s Historic Hermès Appointment: What It Means for Fashion
This October closed with the news the fashion world had been waiting for: British designer Grace Wales Bonner has been appointed Creative Director of Hermès menswear, becoming the first woman of colour to lead design at a major fashion house—succeeding Véronique Nichanian, who stepped down after a 37-year tenure.
Grace Wales Bonner makes history as the new Creative Director of Hermès menswear, redefining luxury through culture, heritage, and modernity
Grace Wales Bonner’s Journey from South East London to Top Fashion Weeks
Born in South East London to an English mother and a Jamaican father, Wales Bonner founded her eponymous label in 2014. Initially renowned for menswear, she launched a womenswear division in 2018 and is expected to keep leading both while taking on her new role.
“Grace’s appetite and curiosity for artistic practice strongly resonate with Hermès’ creative mindset and approach. We are at the start of an enriching mutual dialogue,” said Pierre-Alexis Dumas, General Artistic Director of Hermès.
At just 35, Grace Wales Bonner’s meteoric rise is a testament to her personal vision and to the enduring influence of the African diaspora on British creativity, deeply rooted in Jamaican heritage. If this isn’t the power of a creative mind, what is?
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At 35, Grace Wales Bonner embodies Hermès’ creative spirit—merging cultural heritage, artistic curiosity, and the global influence of the African diaspora
Awards and Achievements: What Makes Grace Wales Bonner a Visionary Designer
Her legacy began in 2014, right after she graduated and launched her namesake brand, Wales Bonner, in London, “blending Savile Row’s suavity with the narrative of the African diaspora,” as described by the New York Times’ Dylan Kelly.
Success came quickly. Grace Wales Bonner achieved recognitions that most designers can only hope for. She won the prestigious L’Oréal Professional Prize in 2014, a remarkable achievement for a recent graduate. However, her sharp business acumen helped her avoid early commercial pressures. Her discipline paid off: a year later, she was nominated for Emerging Menswear Designer at the British Fashion Awards and won the coveted LVMH Prize in 2016. Bonner’s thoughtful, strategic approach ensured her brand survived challenges like Brexit, Covid, and the collapse of major wholesalers. Through it all, she remained grounded in her British-Jamaican heritage and identity.
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Grace Wales Bonner’s visionary discipline and cultural grounding propelled her from graduate success to global acclaim, redefining modern menswear with resilience and purpose
In 2021, Bonner’s career continued to rise. She received the CFDA International Men’s Designer of the Year award, competing with fashion legends such as Rick Owens and Daniel Lee. She was also named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to fashion.
Most recently, Grace Wales Bonner won British Menswear Designer of the Year at the Fashion Awards in 2024.
The Secret Behind Grace Wales Bonner’s Creative Success
Grace Wales Bonner is smart, reflective, and intentional. From the outset, she has forged her own path, deeply informed by her heritage.
Her work is grounded in Afro-Atlantic ancestry, and her menswear often draws on 1970s pan-Africanism. Signature hand-loomed fabrics, sourced from Burkina Faso’s traditional handwoven cotton (as seen in the SS22 collection), define the distinctive character of her brand. Beyond clothing, Wales Bonner’s collections include jewellery crafted by Ghanaian artisans, completing her menswear looks in her signature style.
Red Carpet Influence: Which Celebrities Have Worn Grace Wales Bonner?
Grace Wales Bonner’s designs have long captivated the red carpet, blending meticulous tailoring with a unique sense of heritage. One standout moment was when F1 driver Lewis Hamilton attended the MET Gala 2025, themed “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” wearing an outfit with intricate African-inspired details that perfectly captured her aesthetic.
Over the years, many other high-profile figures—including Meghan Markle, FKA twigs, Kendrick Lamar, Solange Knowles, and top model Adut Akech—have worn her creations, each showcasing the signature codes and cultural richness of Wales Bonner’s wardrobe at major public events.
The red carpet has played a big role in cementing her status as a leading figure in contemporary African diaspora fashion, but her influence extends far beyond celebrity dressing. Through her ongoing collaboration with Adidas, Wales Bonner has brought together sports style with classic tailoring for a global audience. This partnership was most recently highlighted in the SS26 collection at Paris Fashion Week Men’s in June, earning praise from critics who described it as “1930s glamour meets British prep, filtered through a distinctly Afro-Atlantic lens.”
Grace Wales Bonner x Adidas: How This Designer Collaboration Became a Global Fashion Phenomenon
Running an independent brand and keeping it afloat in a competitive market, particularly during uncertain times in the luxury sector, is no easy feat. High-quality craftsmanship, limited production, and premium pricing all add layers of challenge. Yet Grace Wales Bonner has found a strategy that works. One of the most striking examples is her long-running collaboration with Adidas, launched in the Autumn/Winter 2020-21 season during London Fashion Week. From the very first drop, it was evident this was no ordinary capsule collection: it was a thoughtful fusion of heritage, sport, and sartorial elegance. Most importantly, the collaboration felt entirely authentic, steeped in culture and credibility.
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Grace Wales Bonner’s ongoing Adidas collaboration fuses heritage and sport, blending cultural depth with timeless elegance and authentic creative integrity
The debut collection sold out almost immediately, with standout pieces such as the collaborative Samba models and retro SL72 trainers quickly becoming “cult” favourites on the resale market—some pairs commanding over £500 within weeks. Yet this was far more than a fleeting hype. Season after season, the partnership has built sustained commercial momentum, expanding to include more shoe styles in Wales Bonner’s distinctive design lens—from the Superstar and Japan to the Karintha—and even branching into select apparel pieces. Has it worked? The evidence is compelling: Adidas’ own reports show double-digit growth in its Lifestyle segment (which includes collaborations) and a “strong product offering” for iconic silhouettes such as the Samba, Gazelle, and Spezial in the second quarter of 2024.
The Wales Bonner x Adidas alliance demonstrates how thoughtful creativity can lead to real business success. By updating classic designs, reaching new audiences, and amplifying Adidas’s presence in fashion-focused lifestyle markets, this collaboration has become a blueprint for how independent vision and business acumen can coexist—proving that commercial savvy does not mean giving up artistic integrity.
Empowering Emerging Designers: Grace Wales Bonner’s Mentorship at Istituto Marangoni London
Even before Hermès came calling, Grace Wales Bonner was already shaping the next generation of designers.
In 2023, through her mentorship at Istituto Marangoni London alongside Bianca Saunders, she championed the stories of African and Afro-Caribbean communities and amplified underrepresented voices. She did more than teach technical skills; she created a space for self-reflection, cultural pride, and a sense of belonging.
With Wales Bonner, students were encouraged to embrace their heritage and view fashion not just as craft, but as a powerful tool for change and activism.
Grace Wales Bonner’s Vision for Hermès Menswear: What to Expect in 2027 and Beyond
With ten years leading her brand by age 35, the fashion world has high expectations for Wales Bonner’s chapter at Hermès, although we will have to wait until January 2027 for her first collection. Bonner will take her time, working with intent, just as Hermès always does: mastering craft, moving at a quiet, deliberate pace. They will not follow trends; they will create their own.
For now, we celebrate Grace Wales Bonner and look ahead, because her journey is not just a win for fashion, but also for a new kind of cultural leadership—one with strong roots, wide reach, and a radical vision.
Silvia De Vecchi
Librarian, London