Founder of eponymous brand worn by Duchess of Sussex becomes first black woman to lead a major fashion house
In 2019, the designer Grace Wales Bonner told an interviewer that it was a dream of hers “to work with a brand like Hermès”. Six years later, the 35-year-old Briton was named creative director of menswear for the French luxury company, becoming the first female black designer to lead a major fashion house.
Wales Bonner will succeed the French designer Véronique Nichanian, 71, who has headed the men’s division for 37 years, and her debut collection will be shown in January 2027.
Pierre-Alexis Dumas, the general artistic director of Hermès, said Wales Bonner’s “appetite and curiosity for artistic practice strongly resonate with Hermès’ creative mindset and approach”, adding: “We are at the start of an enriching mutual dialogue.”
Wales Bonner founded her eponymous brand in 2014 straight after graduating from Central Saint Martins college of art in London. Known for menswear, she introduced a womenswear division in 2018 and is expected to continue to helm both alongside her new role.
