When did Grace Wales Bonner debut her eponymous brand? Career, age, and more explored as fashion designer becomes new Creative Director for Hermès

Grace Wales Bonner, the designer who’s earned a reputation, for her sensibility officially introduced her menswear line in 2014 and the first offering - Ebonics - unveiled at London Collections: Men caused an instant stir. Her aesthetic is a blend of luxury exacting tailoring and layered cultural narratives perpetually turning its focus onto masculinity, migration and heritage.

Grace Wales Bonner is poised to take charge of Hermès’ menswear division stepping into the role vacated by Véronique Nichanian after a four‑decade stretch. The British designer - renowned, for her label and a 2016 LVMH Prize - will debut her Hermès collection in January 2027 exactly a year after Nichanian’s final runway show in January 2026. The appointment dovetails with a reshuffle across luxury fashion as marquee creators assume the helm of houses such, as Chanel, Dior and Gucci.

Grace Wales Bonner named Hermès menswear director, set to debut in January 2027

The new creative director of Hermes menswear is 35-year-old British designer Grace Wales Bonner, who has replaced Veronique Nichanian after an extraordinary 37-year tenure. Bonner began her eponymous label in 2014 but has since become a culturally rich and intellectually-driven fashion label that finds a seamless way to combine sportswear, tailoring, and luxury by drawing on the cultural histories of Black people and her heritage.

Her work has also received widespread critical praise, winning the LVMH Young Designer Prize in 2016 and CFDA International Men's Designer of the Year in 2021, and in 2022 was appointed MBE in recognition of her work in fashion. In addition to design, Bonner has followed both academic and curatorial interests, such as a research project at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and has shown a dedication to the intellectual and historical aspects of her work.

Her first Hermes menswear line will be launched in January 2027, and it is a very anticipated new beginning of the iconic French house and a larger trend of visionary designers leading the most esteemed fashion brands in the world.

According to Vogue, Bonner's arrival marks a shift for Hermès' menswear arm, a segment that has grown into a revenue driver, €2.26 billion ($2.49 billion USD) in the first half of 2025. Both her debut and Maria Grazia Chiuri's new work at Fendi are poised to become standout milestones in the round of fashion seasons.

Keep reading PRIMETIMER for more informative content!