As Grace Wales Bonner gradually prepares for her new, high-profile role at Hermès (her debut will arrive exactly a year from now), the autumn–winter 2026 collection under her namesake label serves as a reminder of why she is so perfectly suited to one of Paris’s most prestigious menswear positions. It is a serene meditation on debonair elegance, informed by modernist architecture. Her thinking this season revolves around Indian modernism and modernist architecture more broadly, approaching modernism as a means of renegotiating and creating new identities, while also exploring something graphic, almost uniform-like in its clarity and restraint.

There is no shortage of such propositions, whether in the tailcoat and tuxedo trousers – tailored in indigo linen and paired with a linen wingtip-collar shirt, softened through washing – or in a Madras-checked jacket with a leather collar. This season, Wales Bonner also added John Smedley, the Derbyshire knitwear manufacturer founded in 1784, to her select circle of suppliers, delighting in its archive and fine British craftsmanship. She has long favored collaboration with highly specialized makers, valuing depth of knowledge and precision above all else.

One can only imagine what awaits in January 2027 – after all, great things take time.

ED’s SELECTION:

adidas Originals x Wales Bonner Karintha Sequined Satin Sneakers

Wales Bonner Anthem Embroidered Mesh-trimmed Jersey Track Jacket

Wales Bonner Presence Studded Organza Blouse

Wales Bonner Echo Leather-trimmed Organic Denim Jacket

Wales Bonner Java Macrame Fringe Midi Skirt

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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