Grace Wales Bonner has been named the new creative director of Hermès menswear.
As reported by The New York Times, the British designer has made history as the first Black woman to lead a design department at a major fashion house.
Turning to her Instagram account on Tuesday, October 21, Wales Bonner expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, noting, "I am deeply honoured to be entrusted with the role of Creative Director of Hermès Menswear. It is a dream realized to embark on this new chapter, following in a lineage of inspired craftspeople and designers."
The 35-year-old Londoner is replacing Véronique Nichanian, who has been the company's artistic director of the menswear division for 37 years.
Véronique's final collection for the brand will be shown in Paris in January, while Wales Bonner's debut Hermès collection as a creative director will launch in 2027.
She also thanked the company's bosses "for the opportunity to bring my vision to this magical house".
Born in London to an English mother and Jamaican father, Wales Bonner founded her own label in 2014 after graduating from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art.
According to Vogue, she will continue her namesake brand alongside her new Hermès role.
Her remarkable career included dressing the F1 star Lewis Hamilton, singer FKA Twigs, and actor Jeff Goldblum for this year's Met Gala.
Following the appointment, Hamilton turned to his Instagram stories to congratulate the designer, penning, "So well deserved, congrats."
Wales Bonner has also curated an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and hosted musical performances at London's Serpentine Galleries.
