Meet Grace Wales Bonner, who’s made history by being named Hermès’ new creative director of menswear
She dressed Lewis Hamilton, Jeff Goldblum and FKA Twigs for this year’s Met Gala, and her first collection is set to debut in January 2027
It is the first time in nearly four decades that Hermès has made a shift in creative leadership for its menswear division. The designer succeeds Véronique Nichanian, who left last week after 37 years at the helm and was the longest-serving creative director in fashion.
Wales Bonner’s appointment marks a significant moment for both the fashion house and the industry at large. Her new role at Hermès makes her the first Black woman to hold such a position in an industry that is predominantly led by white men.
“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.
Here’s everything to know about Grace Wales Bonner.
She’s English-Jamaican
Wales Bonner was born in London in 1990 to an English mother and a Jamaican father. Discussing 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 – a subject that would go on to inform her design philosophy.