Grace Wales Bonner at Hermès: A Cultural Reset for Black Representation in Fashion

Hermes, one of fashion's oldest luxury brands, amidst the ever-so-exciting storm and cycle of fashion houses' creative director re-shuffle, has announced in October their new menswear creative director. Grace Wales Bonner. The British-Jamaican visionary filled with deep heritage and precise tailoring. Hermes begins a new chapter, one more step towards the future fi led with their historical past as a great fashion house. Succeeding Veronique Nichanian 37-year long reign, Wales Bonner arrives as a breath of fresh-air for the French brand. She's different and new, compared to their long history of creative directors. Most importantly, she is also a woman of colour. The first woman of colour in a major fashion house; whose heritage has been showcased in her artwork reaching over a decade. This so-called "bold" move from Hermes can only be met with excitement. What will this represent for them? How will Grace Wales Bonner's work and history influence the menswear line?

Wales Bonner debuted her first collection in 2015 titled, Ebonics, in London, displaying themes of diasporic identity, post-colonial history and Black masculinity going far beyond aesthetics. Taken from cultural texts, she draws from theorists, writers, musicians and archival material found woven into her garments as she positions and narrates the Black experience in a grounded manner. It's safe to say her vision for the major fashion brand will be nothing short of her consistent display of Black excellence with much substance.