Hermès has officially named Grace Wales Bonner as its new creative director of menswear, marking a historic new chapter for the storied French house. The British designer, 35, known for her cerebral blend of European tailoring and diasporic storytelling, will make her debut for Hermès in January 2027. She succeeds Véronique Nichanian, who leaves the role after an extraordinary 37-year tenure—one that defined modern Hermès menswear as we know it.
In a statement, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès’s general artistic director, praised Wales Bonner’s “contemporary view on craft and culture,” emphasizing that her appointment represents a dialogue between heritage and modernity. For her part, Wales Bonner described the role as a “dream realized,” signaling a poetic and thoughtful continuation of the brand’s menswear legacy.
Born in London to an English mother and Jamaican father, Wales Bonner graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2014 and launched her eponymous label the same year. Her brand quickly became a fixture of global fashion conversation, known for its intellectual approach to Black identity, spiritual symbolism, and the intersection of British tailoring with Afro-Atlantic traditions. Her accolades include the LVMH Young Designer Prize (2016) and the CFDA International Men’s Designer of the Year (2021).
Beyond her independent label, Wales Bonner’s creative impact has extended through an acclaimed collaboration with Adidas and a standout return to the Paris Fashion Week calendar in June 2025. Her SS26 collection, a meditation on heritage and evolution, blended sportswear, preppy codes, and fine tailoring—an aesthetic balance that aligns seamlessly with Hermès’s timeless sophistication.
Her appointment is also emblematic of a broader industry shift. Following a year where female creative leadership remained rare at the top of luxury fashion, Wales Bonner’s new role—alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri’s forthcoming debut at Fendi—signals a reawakening of inclusivity and nuance within Paris’s power structure.
Hermès’s menswear division, which saw a 5.5 percent revenue increase to €2.26 billion in the first half of 2025, remains one of the brand’s strongest categories. Wales Bonner’s refined storytelling and archival sensitivity are poised to deepen its resonance with a new generation of global luxury consumers.
Her arrival isn’t just a change in leadership—it’s a cultural inflection point for Hermès, and perhaps for menswear as a whole.
