Photography by Xavier Mas
Grace Wales Bonner is a true original with her eponymous label, where European sartorial tradition meets Afro-Atlantic sensibility.
Since launching Wales Bonner in 2014 after graduating from Central Saint Martins, the British-Jamaican designer has built a reputation for what she calls “soulful tailoring”. Her clothes are the product of impeccable craftsmanship and profound cultural resonance.
At the heart of Grace’s design lies a commitment to natural materials that appeals directly to the sensory experience of dressing. The sumptuous mohair and wool, breathable cottons, sheer silks and supple leathers she uses don’t just look beautiful, they connect the wearer to something tangible and real. They also age beautifully.
Grace’s ascent has led to a packed trophy cabinet which contains some of fashion’s most prestigious honours. She won Emerging Menswear Designer at the British Fashion Awards in 2015, the LVMH Young Designer Prize in 2016, the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund in 2019, CFDA International Men’s Designer of the Year in 2021, and Independent British Brand at the Fashion Awards in 2022.
What began as a menswear label has organically grown to include womenswear, with the designer’s distinctive approach to tailoring working brilliantly in both. Her collaborations with Anderson & Sheppard, adidas Originals and Dior have served to demonstrate her versatility while maintaining her core aesthetic principles.
Her embrace of traditional materials is echoed in her adoption of traditional tailoring techniques and she marries the two things to produce thoroughly contemporary silhouettes. Her approach to both menswear and womenswear demonstrates a masterful understanding of structure and drape, creating pieces that feel at once timeless and utterly of this moment.
Essential Pieces
The Solace cardigan
This piece exemplifies Wales Bonner’s ability to reimagine classic knitwear through a cultural lens. Crafted in natural fibres, the Solace cardigan balances relaxed comfort with refined detailing, making it equally appropriate in cosy moments or at evening gatherings.
The Canvas jacket
Here, utilitarian sensibility meets refined design. The canvas jacket showcases the brand’s skill with natural cotton, transforming workwear codes into something altogether more sophisticated while retaining a sense of ease and functionality.
The Bridge leather jacket
In leather, Grace demonstrates her command of silhouette and proportion. The Bridge jacket offers a fresh perspective on this wardrobe staple, with cuts and details that reference both European tailoring traditions and broader cultural narratives.
The Mayfair coat
Perhaps the ultimate expression of the brand’s tailoring sophistication, the Mayfair coat embodies what Grace describes as “cultural luxury.” Impeccably constructed in natural wool, it represents the convergence of Savile Row heritage with the designer’s distinctive vision – a coat that carries stories within its very fabric.
Grace’s work reminds us that fashion can speak to hearts and minds, that luxury can be both beautiful and meaningful. Through her commitment to natural materials and exceptional tailoring, Grace Wales Bonner has created not just a brand but a new way to express identity and heritage through clothing. In an industry rife with the ephemeral, her designs offer something more enduring – clothes as cultural artifacts, sustainably made not just to be worn, but to be lived in.
