Congratulations are in order for British-Jamaican designer Grace Wales-Bonner, who has been announced as the new menswear creative director at Hermès. Equal praise is due to the French luxury house for making a move that feels both refreshing and entirely fitting.
Wales-Bonner succeeds Véronique Nichanian, who stepped down last week after an extraordinary tenure that spanned more than three decades.
For Wales-Bonner, this new chapter comes after a decade devoted to building her eponymous label, which she launched after graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2014. Her work has consistently balanced refined tailoring with explorations of cultural identity, particularly her Jamaican heritage. The result is a body of work celebrated for its intellectual depth, meticulous craftsmanship and soulful modernity.
Over the years, her rise has been both steady and significant. She has earned numerous accolades, including the CFDA Award for International Men’s Designer of the Year in 2021 and British Menswear Designer of the Year at the Fashion Awards in 2024. Her ongoing collaboration with Adidas has also been a notable success, faultlessly blending sportswear heritage with her distinctive design language. Together, these achievements reflect not only her artistic vision but also her ability to bridge luxury fashion with narrative and nuance.
Reflecting on her appointment, Wales-Bonner said, “It is a dream realized to embark on this new chapter, following in a lineage of inspired craftspeople and designers.” Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès, echoed this sentiment, noting, “Grace’s appetite and curiosity for artistic practice strongly resonate with Hermès’ creative mindset and approach.”
This appointment marks more than a simple change of guard. It signals a broader shift within the industry, one towards more thoughtful and inclusive leadership. In a field still largely dominated by men, Wales-Bonner becomes the first black woman to hold such a position at Hermès. Her appointment stands as a testament to both her exceptional body of work and her quiet determination to enrich every brand she touches with authenticity and purpose.
As Hermès turns a new page, all eyes will be on how Wales-Bonner’s modern sensibility meets the house’s storied codes of craftsmanship. It promises to be a dialogue worth watching.
