Who is Grace Wales Bonner
Grace Wales Bonner is a fashion designer born in London, to a Jamaican father and English mother in 1990 and is the founder of label ‘Wales Bonner’. Grace is one of the most exciting and promising designers in the world of fashion at the moment and her label has taken the world by storm in recent times.
‘Wales Bonner’ was launched in 2014 following Grace’s graduation from fashion and marketing at Central Saint Martins. Initially established as a menswear brand, the label expanded to womenswear in 2016 following high demand from the general public, and while catering to both divisions, is extremely fluid and androgynous in its design.
Grace’s garments are a product of a combination of differing shapes and ideas, which transverse both European and African cultures. They somehow walk the line between an approach which lives on the cutting edge of the modern fashion scene, while also holding traditional influences.
She combines the worlds of sportswear with high-end tailored looks, perhaps a nod to her grandfather who was a tailor himself. Keeping it in the family, her pieces are heavily influenced by her Jamaican heritage, and her entire brand from the influences of the clothing to the talent used in promotional marketing and shows, are a nod to the empowerment of black people and black history.
Her foray into the sportswear world was highlighted by her initial collaboration with adidas in 2020/21 and the relationship has prospered ever since. All of her adidas releases have resulted in high volumes of sales and hype from the greater public, and her most recent project with the Jamaican national football team is sure to be no different.
Given the Jamaican influences which have been so prominent in her designs to date, the collaboration between herself and the ‘Reggae Boyz’ seemed like an obvious one and is sure to excite both the football and fashion worlds alike.
- Tags: Football & Culture Interviews
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