Who is Grace Wales Bonner? All about new Creative Director for Hermès Menswear

After four decades steering Hermès’ menswear Véronique Nichanian is stepping down as director bringing a long‑standing chapter at the fashion house to a close. Her successor is British designer Grace Wales Bonner- known for her label and a 2016 LVMH Prize win - who will unveil her Hermès menswear collection in January 2027 exactly a year after Nichanian’s final runway show, slated for January 2026. Like a tide the handover swells, bringing a wave of designers to take the helm of the most illustrious fashion houses - Chanel, Dior, Gucci and so on.

Grace Wales Bonner launched her label in 2014. Her menswear has since unfolded like a nuanced conversation, melding the kinetic pulse of sport‑inspired silhouettes, with the precise cut of classic tailoring all while weaving research that throws light on historical currents and her own family’s lineage. That distinctive alchemy has not slipped past the radar: in 2016 she secured the LVMH Young Designer Prize, in 2021 she was honoured as the CFDA International Mens Designer of the Year and in 2022 she received an MBE for her contributions, to fashion.

Simultaneously overseeing her design studio Bonner has also carved a niche, in academia now heading a research programme at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. In October 2025 she stepped into the role of director of Hermès menswear succeeding Véronique Nichanian after a 37‑year reign and her inaugural collection, for the maison is slated for January 2027.

Wales Bonner appointed Hermès menswear director

Wales Bonner has officially taken up the post of director, for Hermès mens ready‑to‑wear calling the appointment "a dream realised" and thanking Pierre‑Alexis and Axel Dumas for the chance to pour her vision into the house. A Central Saint Martins alum Bonner first made a splash with her A/W 2015 debut, Ebonics, at London Collections: Men, where she delved into masculinity, migration and luxury stitching together narratives rooted in history.

Grace stated in a statement (via Wallpaper):

"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."

Having secured the LVMH Prize in 2016, she has kept racking up accolades, with her Spring‑Summer 2023 showcase at Florence's Pitti Uomo, a collection that harvested inspiration from Alessandro de Medici while probing the nexus of history, identity, and cultural memory. Throughout her oeuvre, Bonner continually mines the past as a compass for the future, weaving heritage strands into menswear with a blend of depth and striking visual storytelling.

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