Grace Wales Bonner , founder of London-based menswear label Wales Bonner, has been tipped as one of the most promising newcomers in the world of fashion and was the recipient of the 2016 LVMH Prize.
Born in South East London to a Jamaican father and English mother, Wales Bonner uses her mixed-race heritage as a key reference in her collections. Her work explores representations of black male sexuality and identity, through exceptional craftsmanship and embellishments. Wales Bonner international stockists include Dover Street Market , Selfridges, 10 Corso Como, and Joyce.
Whilst studying at Central Saint Martins, Bonner completed her placement year at Meadham Kirchhoff in London and assisted American Vogue fashion editor Camilla Nickerson in New York. Her graduate collection, titled “Afrique” and shown in 2014 on a cast of black male models, won the L’Oréal Professional Talent Award.
The following year, Wales Bonner debuted “Ebonics,” her Autumn/Winter 2015 collection, with Fashion East at London Collections: Men. In November 2015, she was awarded Emerging Menswear Designer at the British Fashion Awards, and the following June she received the LVMH Prize, comprising €300,000 and a year-long mentorship from executives at the French luxury conglomerate.
