What Is Wales Bonner?
Grace Wales Bonner built a London label on tailoring, heritage and the Samba, then won the keys to Hermès menswear. With a new adidas collection out on October 29 and her first Hermès show due in January 2027, here is the story, the prices and what the company accounts really show.
Some designers build a brand around a logo. Grace Wales Bonner built hers around a question: what does luxury look like when it starts from Black British and Afro-Atlantic culture rather than from the margins of someone else’s? The answer has been silver Sambas, sequinned Karinthas, wool tailoring cut like a sermon, and now, from 2027, the most respected leather house in Paris.
The story
Wales Bonner was born in South London in 1990 to an English mother and a Jamaican father, studied at Central Saint Martins and launched her label in 2014, right after graduating. Her debut collection, “Ebonics,” was presented in 2015 at Fashion East. The Gryphon reports she was named Emerging Menswear Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards a year after the label’s debut, and she won the LVMH Prize in 2016, per Wallpaper. Womenswear arrived in 2018.
The label’s own About page describes “a distinct form of soulful luxury” that infuses European heritage with an Afro-Atlantic spirit. Her work has stretched beyond clothes: Euronews notes projects with the Serpentine Galleries and the Museum of Modern Art, and a design of hers was shown in the Metropolitan Museum’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibition.
- 2014 to 2015The label launches; “Ebonics” debuts at Fashion East.
- 2016Wins the LVMH Prize (Wallpaper).
- 2018Womenswear introduced.
- 2020First adidas collaboration, through adidas Consortium.
- June 2022Guest designer at Pitti Uomo for Spring/Summer 2023.
- Autumn/Winter 2023Joins the Paris Men’s Fashion Week calendar (Wikipedia).
- October 21, 2025Hermès names her menswear creative director.
- February 2026John Smedley x Wales Bonner knitwear capsule.
- June 2026Her label sits out Paris Fashion Week but still releases Spring/Summer 2027.
- October 29, 2026adidas Originals by Wales Bonner Fall/Winter 2026 launches.
The Hermès chapter
On October 16, 2025 Hermès revealed that Véronique Nichanian would step down after 37 years. Five days later, on October 21, it named Wales Bonner her successor. WWD reported that Hermès shares rose on the news and that analysts had expected the house to promote from within, calling her appointment unexpected. Several outlets describe her as the first Black woman to head design at a major French house, a framing that The Gryphon and The Vanilla Issue both use.
The timetable is unusually long. Nichanian’s final show was in January 2026, Hermès skipped the June 2026 runway, its Spring/Summer 2027 line was left to the in-house studio, and Wales Bonner’s first collection is due at Paris Men’s Fashion Week in January 2027. Her own label sat out Paris in June 2026 but still released its Spring/Summer 2027 collection, and Pause notes she has hinted that her Hermès work will draw on both Paris and London. Vogue Scandinavia says she is understood to be keeping her own label, and WWD reported in May 2026 that she was building her Hermès team, including designer John-Gabriel Harrison. I could not find reporting on who runs the Wales Bonner label day to day.
The adidas partnership
The collaboration began in 2020 with adidas Consortium, which JustFreshKicks reported at $180 for the Samba and $150 for the SL72 in two colorways each. It has since grown into a multi-season line: Samba, SL72, Superstar, Gazelle, Karintha and Japan sneakers, plus tracksuits, football jerseys and accessories.
Spring/Summer 2023
June 9, 2023. Silver Samba at $220, ecru Samba and SL72 at $200, knit track top at $365, flared trousers at $240 (Highsnobiety).
Fall/Winter 2025
October 31, 2025. Sequins and satin; Karintha listed at $350 and $220, and a Japan sneaker at $200 (Sneaker News).
Spring/Summer 2026
April 17, 2026. A World Cup Predator boot in snake print, pony-hair Gazelles, an Adizero Adios, a tracksuit, jersey, socks and a ball (Hypebeast, Complex, Slam Jam).
Fall/Winter 2026
October 29, 2026. Global launch on adidas.com and select retailers, revisiting the pair’s own archive with Gazelle and Karintha styles (Hypebae). Prices not yet collected.
Price chart: adidas by Wales Bonner launch prices, in US dollars
Launch or listed retail prices across releases. Full bar equals $400.
Sources: JustFreshKicks, Highsnobiety and Sneaker News. Dates are as stated in each source; the Consortium listing is undated.
Price chart: how deep the outlet discounts run
Share taken off the original price on listings seen in October 2026.
Percentages are calculated from the listed sale and original prices; they are older-season pieces, so check the season.
From the official store
Prices as listed on the official Wales Bonner store (walesbonner.net) on November 8.
Pinstripe Track Top
Track top from the adidas Originals line, priced on the official store.
$240
Wales Bonner official store · Image: Wales Bonner official store
Drop-Crotch Track Pant
Wide track trousers from the same line.
$180
Wales Bonner official store · Image: Wales Bonner official store
M Bag
A shoulder bag from the adidas Originals line.
$300
Wales Bonner official store · Image: Wales Bonner official store
3-Stripes Socks
The lowest-priced item in the line.
$50
Wales Bonner official store · Image: Wales Bonner official store
Where to buy
| Channel | What you get | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| walesbonner.com | The label’s own collections | Official site (per the brand’s About page) |
| adidas.com, Confirmed app, select retailers | adidas Originals by Wales Bonner | FW26 launched globally October 29, 2026 |
| Net-a-Porter, Mr Porter, Dover Street Market International, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Nordstrom, Selfridges, Boon the Shop | The label’s main line | Stockists named on the brand’s About page |
| Slam Jam, Tres Bien, THE OUTNET, Footpatrol, Coggles | adidas collaboration pieces, often discounted | Prices and seasons vary |
The Samba is among the most copied sneakers on the market, so buy from adidas or an established stockist, check the style code against the product page, and treat prices far below the discounts above as a warning. I did not collect resale data, so I give no resale figures.
What the accounts say: cash at year-end
Grace Wales Bonner Limited files micro-entity accounts that do not report turnover or profit. Cash at March 31 is the clearest figure available. This is a cash balance, not sales. Full bar equals £250,000.
Source: CompanyCheck, from Companies House. For the year to March 2025 Endole lists net assets of about −£1.63 million, total assets of about £1.3 million and liabilities of about £2.93 million, with turnover unreported.
Read that carefully. The accounts say nothing about sales or the adidas partnership’s earnings, and the Hermès appointment came after the March 2025 year-end, so it is not reflected. Thin cash and negative net assets are common for founder-led designer labels funded by loans, but the figures do not show why here, so I draw no conclusion about the label’s health.
How it compares
| Label | Base | Signature | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales Bonner | London | Heritage tailoring, adidas Sambas, Hermès from 2027 | This guide |
| Yohji Yamamoto | Tokyo | Avant-garde black tailoring; Y-3 with adidas | Yohji Yamamoto guide |
| Wooyoungmi | Seoul and Paris | Sport-tailored menswear | Wooyoungmi guide |
| Who Decides War | New York | Hand-distressed designer denim | Who Decides War guide |
Questions
What is Wales Bonner?
A London fashion label founded in 2014 by Grace Wales Bonner, known for tailoring that blends European heritage with Afro-Atlantic culture.
Is Grace Wales Bonner leaving her label for Hermès?
She was named Hermès menswear creative director on October 21, 2025, with her first show due in January 2027. Vogue Scandinavia says she is understood to be keeping her own label.
What is the adidas Wales Bonner collaboration?
A multi-season partnership since 2020 that reworks adidas classics such as the Samba, SL72, Gazelle and Karintha, plus apparel. The latest collection launched October 29, 2026.
How much does adidas by Wales Bonner cost?
Launch prices have ranged from $150 to $365, such as $220 for the silver Samba in 2023 and $350 for a Karintha in 2025. Many older pieces are discounted by 50% to 70% at outlets.
Where can I buy it?
walesbonner.com, adidas.com and stockists such as Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter.
Is there financial data?
Only cash and balance-sheet items from UK filings. Turnover is not reported.
Janet Arklis
Janet Arklis is a fashion writer at Street Iconic. She covers streetwear brands, designer collaborations, sneaker culture and Japanese fashion, with a focus on how a label’s history, ownership and design choices shape what ends up on the rack. Her guides trace where a brand came from, what it sells and what it costs, and she flags anything she could not verify.
Research support: AI tools working from public sources. Sources are listed at the end of every guide.
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Sources
- Wales Bonner official store
- WWD: Hermès shares rise after the appointment
- Wallpaper: new head of menswear at Hermès
- Euronews: Meet Grace Wales Bonner
- Vogue Scandinavia: Hermès appoints Grace Wales Bonner
- Pause: Wales Bonner Spring/Summer 2027
- Hypebae: adidas Originals by Wales Bonner FW26
- Hypebeast: adidas by Wales Bonner SS26
- Sneaker News: adidas by Wales Bonner FW25
- Highsnobiety: adidas x Wales Bonner SS23
- Wales Bonner: About
- CompanyCheck: Grace Wales Bonner Limited
- Wikipedia: Grace Wales Bonner
Street Iconic is independent and not affiliated with Wales Bonner, adidas or Hermès. Prices change; figures were checked in October and November 2026. Product images are from Wales Bonner official store. See our Disclaimer and Affiliate Disclosure.
