Grace Wales Bonner has joined Hermès as the new creative director of menswear. The 35-year-old British designer is known for her namesake brand Wales Bonner, and was a member of the host committee for the 2025 Met Gala. Her appointment makes her the first Black woman to serve as creative director at a major luxury fashion house. 

The designer will succeed Véronique Nichanian, who held the position for 37 years. Bonner, a 2014 Central Saint Martins graduate, received the CFDA Award for International Men’s Designer of the Year in 2021 and was named British Menswear Designer of the Year at the Fashion Awards in 2024. She previously told System magazine that working with Hermès would be “a dream” for her.

“I am deeply honoured 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 realised to embark on this new chapter, following in a lineage of inspired craftspeople and designers. I wish to express my gratitude to Pierre-Alexis Dumas and Axel Dumas for the opportunity to bring my vision to this magical house.”  

Bonner’s design has previously combined tailoring and sportswear. Last May, she launched a collaboration with Adidas, reimagining the Samba sneaker. At the 2025 Met Gala, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, she dressed FKA twigs, Lewis Hamilton, Omar Apollo, Jeff Goldblum, Tyler Mitchell and Antwaun Sargent.

“Grace’s appetite and curiosity for artistic practice strongly resonate with Hermès’ creative mindset and approach. We are at the start of an enriching mutual dialogue,” Pierre-Alexis Dumas, General Artistic Director of Hermès, said in a statement.