What Wales Bonner at Hermès means for China

What happened On October 21, Hermès appointed Grace Wales Bonner as creative director of men’s ready-to-wear. The British-Jamaican, the first Black female designer to be appointed creative lead of a major luxury house, will debut her first collection for the French house in January 2027. Founding her eponymous label in 2014 after graduating from Central Saint Martins, the 35-year-old South Londoner has evolved to become one of the most distinguished designers of the past decade. Known for elegant tailoring that often elevates athleisure, the designer has been recognized with accolades including the LVMH Young Designer Prize (2016) and Independent British Brand Fashion Award in 2022. The appointment signals a potential brand evolution for Hermès, particularly given Wales Bonner’s association with Adidas since their first collaboration in 2020. Wales Bonner x Adidas and China’s Gen Z On Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), #walesbonner has 7.5 million impressions, largely down to highly sought-after collections with the German sportswear powerhouse, #adidaswalesbonner has 2.7 million impressions, and #walesbonnercollaboration has 1.2 million. Wales Bonner’s brand was instrumental to the Adidas Samba becoming prolific among the style set — #samba has reached 437.9 million views on Xiaohongshu. Hermès’ General Artistic Director Pierre-Alexis Dumas described the appointment as “the start of an enriching mutual dialogue,” echoing the maison’s history of championing avant-garde voices, including Martin Margiela for womenswear (1997–2003) and Jean Paul Gaultier as overall creative director (2003–2010), both of whom redefined the codes of the brand through their own subversive elegance. The Jing Take Wales Bonner’s appointment signals a subtle but strategic shift for the Parisian maison, one that could resonate with Asia’s younger luxury consumers, especially in China, which accounts for roughly one third of global luxury sales. For Hermès, whose menswear remains a smaller share of revenue than leather goods, the choice of a designer rooted in the cult energy of streetwear and cultural storytelling is a bold experiment. Wales Bonner’s collaborations with Adidas Originals, widely sold across Asia, have generated extensive engagement on Xiaohongshu, indicating her appeal among China’s Gen Z consumers. Cultural credibility as currency Her work consistently celebrates Black creatives and cultural references, exemplified by her reinterpretations of classics like the Adidas Japan sneaker and the now-iconic Samba, which have achieved cult status. By bringing her into its fold, Hermès appears to be testing a generational narrative shift, merging its collector-driven craftsmanship with Wales Bonner’s culturally literate, global sensibility. Financially, Hermès reported 3.88 billion euros ($4.5 billion) in sales for Q3 2025, up 9.6% YoY, just shy of analyst expectations. While growth slowed slightly, the house noted “a very slight improvement” in Chinese demand, citing stabilizing real estate markets and rising consumer confidence. Leather goods remain the brand’s backbone, though inventory shortages briefly tempered sales — this designer shake-up illustrates ambitions toward improving the commercial performance of the house’s ready-to-wear. As luxury navigates post-slump China with cautious optimism, Wales Bonner’s appointment signals Hermès’ bet that cultural credibility and Gen Z appeal can propel the next phase of growth in menswear. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

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What Wales Bonner at Hermès means for China