The luxury fashion house Hermès has announced that Grace Wales Bonner will become its new Creative Director of Men’s Ready-to-Wear, succeeding Véronique Nichanian who held the role for 37 years.
Wales Bonner, aged 35 and based in London, launched her eponymous label in 2014 after graduating from Central Saint Martins. Her appointment makes her the first Black woman to lead design at a major European luxury house.
In a brand statement, Hermès said 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.”
The decision comes at a moment when fashion houses are finally beginning to expand their creative lens. After years of what many have called a “musical chairs” cycle of male creative directors swapping roles between the same handful of luxury brands, the tide is—slowly—turning.
Wales Bonner joins a growing group of women reclaiming leadership in fashion’s top ranks. For years, the conversation around luxury has been driven by men reinterpreting women’s wardrobes or steering menswear through a single lens. Appointments like Wales Bonner’s suggest the industry is ready to value different perspectives.
Still, expectations will be high. Hermès has remained one of fashion’s most stable houses, with a loyal clientele and a steadfast design philosophy. Wales Bonner’s challenge will be to inject freshness without disrupting that equilibrium, bringing her nuanced storytelling to a brand built on restraint and tradition.
