Tuesday morning, I woke up to the news of Grace Wales Bonner’s appointment as Creative Director of Hermès Menswear. As a longtime fan of her work—and, more importantly, as a Black woman—I carried a sense of pride and purpose into the day. This wasn’t just a personal win for her; it was a powerful moment for Black women in fashion as a whole.
Wales Bonner’s appointment marks a historic milestone: she becomes the first Black woman to lead a major luxury house. For the British-Jamaican designer, it’s a significant step forward and for the fashion industry, a sign of long-overdue progress.
“I think it’s long overdue,” shared Milton Dixon, Stylist and Program Director for the Empowered Vision Award.” We’ve always, as a community within the fashion industry, wanted Grace to be somewhere like Hermes.”
Wales Bonner has steadily risen to prominence since founding her namesake label in 2014 after graduating from Central Saint Martins. Just a year later, she was named Emerging Menswear Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, and she followed this by winning the prestigious LVMH Young Designer Prize in 2016 after her debut runway presentation.
Her label, traditionally focused on menswear, is celebrated for its signature design style. It draws references from 1970s Afro-Caribbean style infused with European tailoring, while also incorporating luxury sportswear and elements of art, literature, and philosophy. In recent years, she has expanded into womenswear, maintaining the same level of intentionality and craftsmanship.
One of her most notable partnerships is with Adidas, a collaboration that has proven hugely successful across multiple collections. The standout product—the Grace Wales Bonner x Adidas Samba—has become a cultural favorite. She has also worked with esteemed brands like Dior, Swarovski, Y-3, Stüssy, Anderson & Sheppard, and more. Now, she’s embarking on her latest venture at Hermès, an aspiration she expressed as early as 2019 in an interview with System Magazine.
“It’s a perfect pairing, like they’re perfect temperaments for each other,” Dixon shared with ESSENCE. “It’s like a house and a designer that’s dedicated to craft and dedicated to design, like, and you can even tell it from like the rollout of the announcement. It’s like, we won’t see a collection till 2027, which is a testament to what this is about. It’s not about a name or a headline. It’s about true design and true legacy. That’s the story Grace is always told, and it’s the story Hermes always told.”
Her appointment to Hermès Menswear feels like a natural and exciting progression. Both her label and the French fashion house share a deep reverence for craftsmanship, tailoring, and timeless design. It’s a thoughtful pairing—two forces in menswear committed to honoring tradition while continuing to push the boundaries of modern style.
