March 10, 2025 |
For the first time, Grace Wales Bonner presents her womenswear line as a standalone force for AW25, serving up a quiet and assured vision of glamour. Styled by Camilla Nickerson and captured by Zoë Ghertner, the offering, dubbed Selah, speaks to all forms of femininity, both elegant and sartorial. This season, the designer proves there’s a Wales Bonner woman in everyone.
True to form, Bonner composes a wardrobe where refinement and edge walk in step. Masculinity and femininity entwine in silhouettes that balance urbanity with utility. Lavish fringe dresses flounce in measured excess, conjuring the archival glamour of Ebony and Jet, while navy satin and ivory cashmere are cut to captivate. Open-back knits find their counterpoint in biker jackets, the toughness of leather softened by creamy Mongolian shearling – a timeless take on the trending jacket.
Elsewhere, wardrobe staples, including denim and white graphic tees featuring imagery from Moneta Sleet Jr.’s renowned collection, serve as a quiet nod to Black visual history, courtesy of The Black Image Corporation.
Against leopard-print backdrops, heritage tailoring takes centre stage: a Crombie collaboration reworks the classic grate coat in navy wool with leather accents, while Anderson & Sheppard lend their mastery to a cavalry uniform, its supple satin contrasts and embossed gold buttons exuding stately elegance.
Craft runs deep, materialising in natural indigo and textural corduroy contrasts. Macramé sets handwoven in India sit alongside silk and organza, where chrome stud embellishments transform into fine embroidery. The finishing touch? Gold-studded pilgrim loafers, leather boots and the Jewel Mary Jane, reissued in gold. This is a designer who understands glamour – not with excess, but with intention.
Photography courtesy of Wales Bonner.
