Jamaican Roots Designer Grace Wales Bonner Makes History As Hermès’ First Black Woman Creative Director

BY NAN ET EDITOR

News Americas, LONDON, England, Weds. Oct. 22, 2025: The fashion world is celebrating a historic moment as Jamaican-roots British designer Grace Wales Bonner has been named Creative Director of Hermès Men’s Ready-to-Wear, making her the first Black woman to lead design at a major luxury fashion house. The announcement cements Wales Bonner’s reputation as one of the most visionary designers of her generation and marks a new chapter for the nearly two-century-old French brand.

Hermès confirmed the appointment in a statement, saying: “Hermès is pleased to announce the appointment of Grace Wales Bonner as Creative Director of Men’s Ready-to-Wear. The Founder and Artistic Director of Wales Bonner has developed a contemporary and innovative approach to menswear over the last 10 years. Passionate about craft and culture, she will present her first collection for Hermès in January 2027.”

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, the General Artistic Director of Hermès, praised the designer’s global vision and depth of creativity. “I am really pleased to welcome Grace to the Hermès Artistic Director family. Her take on contemporary fashion, craft, and culture will contribute to shaping Hermès men’s style, melding the house’s heritage with a confident look on the now. Grace’s appetite and curiosity for artistic practice strongly resonate with Hermès’ creative mindset and approach. We are at the start of an enriching mutual dialogue,” Dumas said.

Jamaican heritage designer Grace Wales Bonner attends the Dover Street Market open house to celebrate Photo London 2025 on May 15, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Wales Bonner, the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant, responded with gratitude and purpose, calling the opportunity “a dream realized.”

“I am deeply honored to be entrusted with the role of Creative Director of Hermès Men’s Ready-to-Wear,” she said. “It is a dream realized 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 succeeds 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.

From South London to the World Stage

Born in South London in 1990 to a Jamaican father, who is an attorney, and an English mother, Grace Wales Bonner’s dual heritage has been the cornerstone of her artistic voice. Raised between Dulwich and Stockwell, she learned early on how identity, culture, and creativity could coexist in layered harmony. Her paternal grandfather was a tailor who came to the UK as part of the Windrush generation.

After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2014 with her acclaimed collection “Afrique,” she launched her namesake label later that year. Her brand, Wales Bonner, soon became known for blending European tailoring with Afro-Atlantic history, philosophy, and style.

Her collections—often inspired by music, post-colonial theory, and spirituality – earned her the LVMH Young Designer Prize in 2016, the British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund in 2019, and the CFDA International Men’s Designer of the Year in 2021. In 2022, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to fashion.

Grace Wales Bonner, Chance The Rapper at the UTA Pre-Met Soiree at Nubeluz held at The Ritz-Carlton on May 04, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Marsha Bernstein/WWD via Getty Images)

Jamaican Roots, Global Resonance

While based in London and Paris, Wales Bonner has never strayed far from her Caribbean roots. Her Jamaican heritage runs through her creative work – from her music-inspired collections to her collaborations with Adidas, where she reimagined the official Jamaican Football Federation kits. Each design blends heritage, rhythm, and pride, transforming national identity into global luxury.

Her work celebrates the Caribbean as a site of innovation, not limitation. “My mission,” she once said, “is to honor the beauty and intellectual history of the African diaspora through a refined and poetic lens.” With Hermès, that mission now steps onto the world’s most elite runway. Her collaborations with Adidas Originals are the reason why Samba and Superstar sneakers are now worn by everyone from Rihanna to Rishi Sunak.

A Scholar, Curator, and Cultural Storyteller

Beyond fashion, Wales Bonner’s interdisciplinary approach has influenced museums and galleries worldwide. Her 2019 exhibition “A Time for New Dreams” at London’s Serpentine Gallery and her 2023 MoMA exhibition “Spirit Movers” explored how art, music, and spirituality intersect in the Black experience. Her shows attracted tens of thousands of visitors and positioned her as a bridge between haute couture and cultural scholarship. In 2019, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, wore a Wales Bonner white trench dress when she and Prince Harry introduced their son, Archie, to the world. In May, a velvet suit embroidered with cowrie shells from the designer’s autumn/winter collection was chosen to be spotlighted at the Met’s Costume Institute 2025 exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. At the accompanying Met Gala event, considered one of the most powerful events in fashion and masterminded by Anna Wintour, Wales Bonner made her debut dressing the Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, the singer FKA twigs and the actor Jeff Goldblum.

A Caribbean Legacy in Paris

As Wales Bonner prepares to debut her first Hermès menswear collection in January 2027, her appointment marks a profound shift in how heritage and identity shape global luxury. She is not just designing clothes; she is redefining what power, creativity, and elegance look like from a diasporic perspective.

For the Caribbean, her ascent is more than symbolic – it’s proof that cultural excellence born from Kingston, London, and beyond continues to influence the world’s most prestigious stages.