Fashion career profile
Grace Wales Bonner
Grace Wales Bonner is a British fashion designer, researcher and the founder and creative director of her London house. A 2014 Central Saint Martins graduate, she launched her first collection, Ebonics, through Fashion East in 2015. Her work combines tailoring and craft with research into literature, music, history and the African diaspora. Wales Bonner won the LVMH Young Designer Prize in 2016, the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund in 2019 and the CFDA International Men’s Designer award in 2021. Hermès announced her appointment as Creative Director of Men’s Ready-to-Wear in October 2025; her first collection for the house is scheduled for January 2027. The role is therefore recorded as an announced appointment, with the debut timing stated separately.
- Role
- Founder and Creative Director, Wales Bonner; Creative Director of Men’s Ready-to-Wear, Hermès
- Nationality
- British
- Age
- 36
- Career appointments
- 2
- Fashion houses
- 2
- Verified awards
- 4
- Active roles
- 2
- Gucci & Louis Vuitton Take Over NYC & Warby Parker's Specs Go Smart With Google in This Week's Top Fashion NewsHypebeast Fashion · 2026-05-22
- Grace Wales Bonner Reportedly Recruits Former A.P.C. Head of Design for Hermès TeamHypebeast Fashion · 2026-05-21
- Grace Wales Bonner and John Smedley link up for made-in-England knit collabFashionNetwork · 2026-01-29
- Education: Central Saint Martins, graduated 2014Hermès confirms her 2014 graduation; LVMH records her graduate collection. · Hermès
- Wales Bonner: Founded 2014; first collection shown in 2015Her graduate year and first collection are recorded separately from the house’s founding date. · LVMH Prize
- Hermès appointment: Creative Director of Men’s Ready-to-Wear; first collection January 2027Hermès announced her appointment on 21 October 2025 and scheduled her first collection for January 2027. · Hermès
- Selected awards: LVMH Young Designer Prize (2016); BFC/Vogue Fund (2019); CFDA International Men’s Designer (2021)Award dates and categories are supported by the award organisations. · CFDA
- 2014 — Graduates from Central Saint MartinsHer graduate collection Afrique receives the L’Oréal Professionnel Talent Award.
- 2015 — Presents Ebonics through Fashion EastThe collection marks the first public presentation of her label.
- 2016 — Wins the LVMH Young Designer PrizeThe award recognises Wales Bonner’s early collection work.
- 2019 — Wins the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion FundThe fund supports the next stage of the independent house’s development.
- 2021 — Wins CFDA International Men’s DesignerThe CFDA recognises Wales Bonner for her menswear work.
- 2025 — Appointed Creative Director of Hermès Men’s Ready-to-WearHer first collection for the house is scheduled for January 2027.
- 2026–Present — Creative Director, Men’s Ready-to-Wear — HermèsCurrent appointment · Hermès
- 2014–Present — Founder and Creative Director — Wales BonnerCurrent appointment · Wales Bonner
- 2025 — Grace Wales Bonner — British Menswear DesignerVerified fashion award
- 2024 — Grace Wales Bonner — British Menswear DesignerVerified fashion award
- 2021 — Grace Wales Bonner — International Men’s Designer of the YearVerified fashion award