Grace Wales Bonner Is the New Creative Director of Hermès Men

Grace Wales Bonner is the new creative director of Hermès menswear. It is a job Bonner expressed interest in years ago, and now, following Véronique Nichanian’s departure from the position, her manifestation has come to fruition.

“I am deeply honored to be entrusted with the role of creative director of Hermès men’s ready-to-wear,” Bonner said in a statement. “It is a dream realized to embark on this new chapter, following in a lineage of inspired craftspeople and designers.”

Back in 2019, Bonner told System Magazine, “A dream of mine would be to work with a brand like Hermès or even a Savile Row tailoring house, as that is at the core of what I am doing.” At the time, Bonner was five years into work on her eponymous brand. She founded the lable in 2014 after graduating from Central Saint Martins College of Art. Bonner is known for her academic approach to fashion, often finding inspiration in her own British-Jamaican heritage.

Quickly after her first show, Bonner emerged as a fan favorite of the fashion industry. In just over ten years, she has amassed immense recognition, including Emerging Menswear Designer at the British Fashion Awards in 2015, the LVMH Prize in 2016, and the CFDA International Men's Designer of the Year in 2021. A year later, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire.

Her longstanding collaboration with Adidas is amongst the most successful of its kind, thanks largely to her reimagining and reinvigoration of the German brand’s classic sneakers. She has worked with Dior, curated an exhibition for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and, just this year, launched womenswear for her brand. Through all of this, Bonner has proven her prowess, not only as a designer but as a fully-formed artist, one ready to lead such a storied brand like Hermès.

Every time a position has opened up at a major fashion house over the past few years, Bonner’s name has been floated as a possible replacement, though to no avail until now. Her appointment at Hermès makes her the first Black woman to lead design at a major legacy fashion house. In an industry dominated by men, Bonner’s placement is immensely welcome.

Bonner is replacing Nichanian, who stepped down from the position just last week after 37 years on the job. She was the longest-serving creative director in fashion, an especially impressive feat given the constant creative shifts that have been plaguing the industry as of late. Nichanian will present her final collection for Hermès during Paris men’s week this January, and Bonner will make her debut in January 2027. It is understood that she will also continue work on her own label.