Grace Wales Bonner named Hermès Creative Director of Menswear
Grace Wales Bonner has just earned one of the most coveted roles in luxury fashion. The British designer, celebrated for her eponymous indie menswear label, is now Hermès new Creative Director of Menswear.
She will present her first collection for the French house in January 2027, taking over from Véronique Nichanian, who is stepping down after 37 years at the helm.
Wales Bonner was born in London to an English mother and a Jamaican father. She graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2014 and wasted no time launching her menswear label, later introducing womenswear in 2018.
In just over a decade, she’s earned accolades including the British Fashion Awards’ Emerging Menswear Designer in 2015, the LVMH Young Designer Prize in 2016 and the CFDA International Men’s Designer of the Year in 2021. But her accolades don't stop there. Collaborations with Adidas and her red carpet designs at the Met Gala 2025 earned her a name on the global fashion stage.
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Hermès’s announcement signals a deliberate choice to look outward rather than promote from within. While insiders had expected a successor from Nichanian’s inner circle, the house went for fresh talent with a contemporary voice.
"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," Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès’s General Artistic Director, told Vogue.
Wales Bonner added: "I am deeply honoured to be entrusted with the role of creative director of Hermès men’s ready-to-wear. 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."
Hermès menswear under Nichanian was nothing short of transformative, growing into a €2.26 billion (£1.96 billion) business in the first half of 2025 despite a downturn in the general luxury market. In her new role, Wales Bonner will have to master the art of balancing creativity with commerciality.
The timing of this appointment also speaks to the shifting landscape of fashion leadership. Between the buzz surrounding Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Fendi debut in February 2026 and Wales Bonner’s Hermès collection in January 2027, the luxury calendar is shaping up to be a stage for boundary-pushing female designers.
Image Credit: PA Media
