SPOTLIGHT ON GRACE WALES BONNER
- BY KRISTOPHER FRASER
- 4 NOVEMBER 2025
- 4 Min
Photo: Courtesy of Liz Johnson Artur
Last month, Véronique Nichanian stepped down as the creative director of Hermès menswear after 37 years in the role. Nichanian’s final collection for the brand will be presented during Paris Fashion Week: Men’s in January 2026. She holds the distinction of being the longest-serving creative director of a fashion house.
In a historic move, Hermès named Grace Wales Bonner its new menswear creative director, making her the first Black woman to hold the position and one of the few Black designers to lead a major luxury brand. At only 34 years old, Bonner could enjoy a tenure at Hermès as long as Nichanian’s.
Bonner was born in London, England, to an English mother and a Jamaican father. She attended Central Saint Martins, one of the world’s most prestigious fashion design schools, which counts Stella McCartney, John Galliano, and Phoebe Philo among its alumni. After graduating in 2014, Bonner won the L’Oréal Professionnel Talent Award for her graduate collection, “Afrique.”
Photo: Courtesy of Wales Bonner
This marked the beginning of an impressive career and a steady accumulation of awards. In 2015, she won the “Emerging Talent – Menswear” award at the British Fashion Awards, followed by the 2016 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. Her accolades continued with the 2019 British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, the 2021 CFDA International Men’s Designer of the Year, the 2022 Best Independent British Brand, the 2023 British Fashion Council/GQ Designer Fashion Fund, and the 2024 British Menswear Designer of the Year.
Bonner began showing her collections at London Fashion Week until 2023, when she was invited as a guest designer at Pitti Uomo. Beginning in fall 2023, she started presenting her collections at Paris Fashion Week: Men’s. While Bonner’s accolades are numerous, she’s also earned admiration from some of fashion’s most respected figures. In 2020, then-Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri invited Bonner to collaborate with Dior, where she reinterpreted the house’s iconic New Look silhouette for its Resort 2020 collection.
That same year, Bonner began collaborating with Adidas on seasonal collections and official kits for the Jamaican Football Federation. Her Adidas collections have achieved immense commercial success, with collaborative sneakers selling out over 20 times. In 2022, Bonner was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to fashion.
Photo: Courtesy of Wales Bonner
In 2025, Bonner joined the Met Gala’s host committee and designed custom looks for Lewis Hamilton, FKA Twigs, Omar Apollo, Jeff Goldblum, Tyler Mitchell, Monica L. Miller, and Eric N. Mack. Her work was also featured in this year’s Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibit.
While Bonner’s first collection for Hermès will not debut until January 2027, fans can familiarize themselves with her vision through her eponymous label, which continues to show at Paris Fashion Week: Men’s. A new era is on the horizon for Hermès — one that promises refinement, depth, and global perspective under Grace Wales Bonner’s creative direction.