For the aspiring designers graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2014, there was never any question of who would be their Phoebe Philo.
“Grace Wales Bonner was one of those people that you just knew was going to go far without her having to say a thing,” a PR friend who attended the art school at the same time tells me. “Her work spoke for itself.”
Sure enough, in the ten years since, Wales Bonner has hit some pretty impressive milestones. A namesake label that’s been snapped up by every major retailer. A coveted spot on the Paris Fashion Week circuit. Awards from the CFDA, the British Fashion Council and LVMH. You might even bestow her with the honour of having singlehandedly revived the Samba thanks to a thriving long-term partnership with Adidas – one of the sports giant’s most successful to date.
Much like its founder, the Wales Bonner brand hasn’t had to make much noise to get there. In a fashion landscape that often trades on theatrics, hers is a rare label that’s prizes understated elegance, applying the same rigour to its retro-inspired sportswear as it does its Savile Row-crafted tailoring. But equally, by infusing her collections with ‘Afro-Atlantic’ influences, and riffing on everything from the writings of James Baldwin to the paintings of Lubaina Himid, Wales Bonner has created something rather radical: a new, more expansive vision of luxury that’s firmly rooted in Blackness.
Here, a decade on from the brand’s buzzy debut, friends, fans and peers pay tribute to its brilliance.
Anda Rowland, director of Anderson & Sheppard
Her respect for tailoring was instantly appealing to us
“Our work with Wales Bonner is our first and only long-term collaboration of its kind. Grace initially came in to see us before we started working together on her AW21 show as she wanted to know more about what we did and get to know the bespoke team. Some of us had seen the first Adidas collaboration in the press and had admired the effortless way in which she mixes different cultural references. Her understanding and respect for tailoring and for cloth, and her interest in being involved in all aspects of the collaboration, were instantly appealing.
“Bespoke tailors are always ‘collaborating’ as we work on each commission with an individual customer, but where Grace is different is that her ideas have helped us to develop new details, including signature proportions for turnback cuffs, trimmings, braiding, cloth combinations, new materials. Encouraging everyone in the cutting room and work rooms to try new ideas is very refreshing for all of us, and seeing Anderson & Sheppard clothing styled by Grace and her team for a new audience gives us even more confidence in the future of the firm.”
Daniel Todd, buying director at Mr Porter
Her cross-disciplinary approach is what makes her stand out
“We first introduced Wales Bonner to Mr Porter through the brand’s collaboration with Adidas Consortium in 2020, followed by the [mainline] brand for Spring/Summer 2022. Since then, it’s performed really well, especially with its Adidas Samba sneakers, which sell out within 24 to 72 hours.
“Grace’s cross-disciplinary approach to design is what makes her stand out to me. She really is one of the most talented designers of our moment as her numerous awards attest to. She was one of my highlights in Paris this AW24 season, showcasing what she does best with the collegiate style collection referencing her time spent at Howard University, and balancing preppy pieces such as varsity jackets, fuzzy parkas and striped crew necks with relaxed tailoring.”
Jamie Schuck, founder of The Outsider Perspective
She’s challenged the norms of luxury
“Grace is truly one of a kind. Her unique perspective has enabled Wales Bonner to debunk the status quo and challenge the norms of luxury. She is living proof that our industry needs new voices that can bring a new prism to the way we view luxury. She has such an intelligence in her design and in her cultural commentary, and she really deserves credit for her true kindness and sincerity. Wales Bonner’s cultural impact in the industry goes far beyond the business’ own footprint. This is only the beginning.”
Sweatshirt
Nylon Jacket
Sweater Vest
Arthur Comely, fashion photographer
The Adidas collabs have pushed the ‘three stripes’ framework forward
“I’ve always loved the work of Durimel, the twin brothers who’ve shot a lot of the Wales Bonner campaigns, so that was kind of my first introduction to the brand. And then obviously with the Adidas collabs… It’s really pushed the classic framework of the Adidas ‘three stripes’ forward. But at the same time, I love how it all feels quite vintage, quite archive Adidas, but with her twist on them.
“The first thing I bought from the collabs was the Country Core Black / Easy Yellow Low Top trainers a couple years ago. I remember waking up in the morning and thinking, ‘Oh my god, I need to get in the queue!' After that, I wore them pretty much every day until they were completely broken. Honestly, I wish I’d bought more pairs.”
Otamere Guobadia, poet
My first Wales Bonner piece back in AW16 was a formative purchase
“I remember the first ever Wales Bonner piece I bought and wore: it was a pair of flared ‘Angelo’ Tracksuit Pants in a rust shade, with contrast white stripes running up the side – from AW16 I believe. The most defining feature was a bejewelled embellishment at the top of the waistband. It was at the time probably the most expensive item of clothing I’d ever bought myself and a formative purchase that marked the beginning of this love affair with high fashion. I remember so vividly, being transported, made covetous, by the silhouettes and the fantasy of those early collections.”
