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French luxury company Hermes announced Tuesday that Grace Wales Bonner, a British designer, is taking over the men’s prêt-à-porter collection from her predecessor, who held the post for nearly four decades.
Wells Bonner, who is in her mid-30s and graduated from London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins art school, said in a statement from Hermes that she was delighted to be joining “such a magical house”, calling it “a dream”.
Their first collection is scheduled to hit the catwalk in January 2027.
Wells Bonner replaces Véronique Nichanian, the 71-year-old French designer who led the label’s menswear line for the past 37 years.
Hermes announced Nichanian’s departure on Friday, after presenting his last men’s collection in January for the 2026-2027 autumn-winter show in Paris.
The new blood at Hermès is the latest in a series of artistic changes at the big fashion houses, notably Chanel, Dior, Baleniaga, Loewe and Jean Paul Gaultier.
The luxury sector is currently going through a challenging period for sales globally, which is impacting many companies, but Hermes has been well protected from the buffet.
Its sales are continuously increasing and in the first half of this year its turnover has increased by more than seven percent to eight billion euros.
Wales Bonner, the daughter of an English mother and a Jamaican father, has won numerous awards for her innovative approach to blending European tailoring and African influences in menswear.
In the past, and under his own label, he has explored themes of identity and post-colonial legacy.
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Wells Bonner said, “I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be a historian or an artist”.
Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès, welcomed him, saying, “His contemporary view of the world, craftsmanship and culture will continue to guide the men’s prêt-à-porter collections”.
MDV-JRI/JMO/RMB/PHZ
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