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Just a few days back, the fashion world witnessed a historic milestone: Grace Wales Bonner, the 35-year-old British-Jamaican designer, was appointed as the creative director of Hermes menswear. With this development, she becomes the first Black woman to helm the menswear division of a major European luxury house, as she succeeds Veronique Nichanian, who led Hermès menswear for an impressive 37 years. Having established her namesake menswear label Wales Bonner in 2014, the 35-year-old beat out names like Kim Jones, former creative director of Dior Men, for the role. “It is a dream realised to embark on this new chapter, following in a lineage of inspired craftspeople and designers. I wish to express my gratitude to Pierre-Alexis Dumas and Axel Dumas for the opportunity to bring my vision to this magical house,” Wales Bonner wrote in a post on Instagram. Wales Bonner was born in London in 1990 to an English mother and a Jamaican father. She has often spoken about her mixed-race identity. In a 2016 interview with The Gentle Woman, she revealed that people identified her as “Black” at secondary school in the UK but as “white” when she visited Jamaica with her father. A student at Central Saint Martins from 2009 to 2014, Wales Bonner developed an interest in Black culture. Shortly after graduation, Wales Bonner launched her eponymous label, which was focussed primarily on menswear. From the beginning, her approach was distinct: she tried to merge European tailoring with Afro-Atlantic heritage. Her work is based on cultural, historical and philosophical references. By 2018, she expanded her label to include womenswear. Ever since then, Wales Bonner has earned significant recognition in the fashion industry, beginning with her being named emerging menswear designer at the British Fashion Awards in 2015. She went on to win the LVMH Young Designer Prize in 2016, and CFDA International Men’s Designer of the Year in 2021. In recognition of her contributions to fashion, she was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2022. With her taking over the new role, expectations are now high for Wales Bonner’s debut collection for Hermes. It is set to premiere at Paris Fashion Week in January 2027. It is rumoured that Hermes will skip showcasing a season in 2026, following Nichanian’s final show in January.
