A New Vision for Hermès: Grace Wales Bonner Leads Menswear
The designer redefining modern menswear takes her vision to Hermès.
Hermès has found its newest visionary. Grace Wales Bonner, British designer whose work bridges elegance, culture and identity is stepping in as the new Creative Director of menswear. Succeeding Véronique Nichanian, who has been the company’s artistic director of menswear division for 37 years, this decision marks more than a creative shift – it marks a generational one.
Her London-based label Wales Bonner, which redefined modern menswear through impactful storytelling and an interplay of music and style, has been pivotal in the way that men’s fashion is perceived. Founded in 2014, following closely after her graduation from Central Saint Martins, Wales Bonner encapsulates an escape to an individualistic reality. Just a year after the label’s debut, Wales Bonner was dubbed Emerging Menswear Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards; shortly after this she was granted the LVMH Young Designer prize, including a lavish grant and prestigious one-year mentorship from LVMH executives.
Wales Bonner has engaged in extensive collaboration with brands including adidas Originals, Anderson & Sheppard, and Dior. Her adidas collaboration is one that is perhaps the most compelling; inspired by notions of the British-Jamaican communities of the 1970s/1980s, pieces like the Brixton Striped Knitted Vest, Sunlight Straight-Leg Track Pants and the White Nizza Lo Sneakers gave a refreshing and redesigned perspective on late twentieth century clothing, through elusive branding and nostalgic detailing. It is clear that culture and heritage are paramount in the way that Wales Bonner’s vision is presented to the fashion world, and her talent and unique fashion storytelling does not go unnoticed.
Wales Bonner will be debuting her artistic vision for Hermès in January 2027, following Nichinan’s final collection in January 2026. The British designer will reportedly continue her namesake brand while in the new role, proving her commitment to her label as admirable. Now, as she becomes the first Black woman to rein a major French maison, the designer brings her textured perspective – proven in her eponymous label – to Hermès menswear. Her transition into the French fashion house is one that feels natural; both Wales Bonner and Hermès share a deep and intricate reverence for tailoring, and this new leadership is one that will spark cultural, literary explorations of craftsmanship.
Words by Amber Williams