Grace Wales Bonner is one of the most celebrated names in fashion today. A British Fashion Award winner, Bonner has become renowned for her boundary-breaking designs, striking the perfect balance between classic English tailoring and vintage African tailoring techniques. However, what very few know is that Bonner’s sights have been set on far more than just fashion. From literature and art to philosophy and anthropology, Bonner’s curiosity and creativity knows no bounds. Read on to learn more about how Bonner is pushing boundaries and expanding her helpful contribution to society.
1. The Remarkable Grace Wales Bonner
Grace Wales Bonner has emerged as a figure of remarkable multidisciplinary success – an acclaimed designer, artist, and filmmaker. She has become renowned for thoughtfully intertwining worlds of traditional design and culture.
Bonner’s work has taken her across the globe for research, from Jamaica to Angola, resulting in pieces that reach into the marginalised histories of African and diasporic identities to provide an unique and poignant new perspective. She draws on a multitude of references, from scents, fabrics, music and dance, to create collections that embody a complex conversation between past and present. These unique, creative garments represent a new narrative rooted in inclusivity, fashion, culture, and self-expression.
- Music
- Dance
- Fragrances
- Fabrics
2. An Artist Beyond Fashion
Rihanna is much more than a fashion icon. Her accomplishments in music, acting, and business know no bounds. As far back as 2005, she has been progressively pushing the boundaries of success in entertainment and fashion. From her debut album Music of the Sun, to her ninth studio album Anti that broke records and garnered her nominations from multiple award shows, Rihanna’s musical career has been groundbreaking.
Rihanna is an artist whose impact goes beyond the conventional notion of a ‘recording artist.’ Not only has she crafted some of the biggest hits of her time, she is also the founder of her very own lingerie line, Savage X Fenty, and a creative director at Puma. She also created a makeup line, Fenty Beauty, and a jewelry line with LVMH. What is even mind-blowing is that all these feats have happened in the span of just 15 years.
- Nominated for multiple awards in the music category
- Founder of her very own lingerie line, Savage X Fenty
- Creative Director for Puma
- Created a makeup line, Fenty Beauty
- Also created a jewelry line with LVMH
3. Wales Bonner’s Revolutionary Approach
Wales Bonner is a revolutionary designer whose career has gone from strength to strength since emerging on the fashion scene in 2014. Her pieces explore ethnicity and the importance of identity through classic tailoring and her signature print work. Bonner has a distinctively unique approach which makes her garments instantly recognizable.
Wales Bonner’s designs bring together elements of African and European culture, creating the perfect harmony between the two. Her garments illustrate the experience of diaspora, which she uses to deconstruct traditional ideals of luxury and classicism. From her intricate raised patterned silks to her painterly embroidered leather wool coats, her clothes feature a brave combination of traditional tailoring and African aesthetics. The bold shapes and saturated colors she is known for make her pieces so timeless – they are instant classics that will never go out of style.
- Intricate patterned silks
- Embroidered leather wool coats
- Bold silhouettes
- Saturated colors
4. The Future of Grace Wales Bonner
Moving forward, Grace Wales Bonner has ever-growing ambitions for her namesake label. To take the brand into the future, she is investing in sustainable production practices and ethical sourcing of fabrics from around the world. From her London headquarters, she is creating thoughtful collections that challenge ideas of inclusivity, gender, and beauty. She is merging the classic with the modern and the traditional with the avant-garde, creating clothing that is both timeless and distinctive.
At the same time, Wales Bonner continues to develop her multifaceted approach to fashion. She is experimenting with performance-based art, sound, fragrance, and publishing to create a more immersive and multifaceted experience of her collection. Not only is she pushing fashion standards forward, but her applied arts are being discovered all over the world and increasingly sought after. With a bright future ahead, Wales Bonner continues her inspiring journey as one of the world’s most celebrated and acclaimed designers.
Grace Wales Bonner is a name to remember in the fashion world – and beyond. She is both a role model and role-breaker for those seeking to break out of traditional paths and create something for themselves. From fashion to film, the possibilities of this multi-talented individual seem to be limitless. The world awaits what she might come up with next.
