feature: acclaimed fashion newcomer, british designer grace wales bonner presents slavery-influenced fall collection

Last Friday, British fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner debuted her AW16 men’s collection at London Collections: Men. The show, entitled ‘Spirituals’ was inspired by African slavery—specifically American slavery. Models walked the runway to the tune of negro choral spirituals, with accompaniment by Nigerian Irish composer Tunde Jegede and his 21-string harp. The collection does not rest the entirety of its aesthetic on slave-history, but rather black history and social thought, taking inspiration from the iconic styles of Miles Davis and Sly Stone and Bonner’s use of gender-bent tailoring, femme fabrics and accessories to challenge the perception of black male masculinity.

‘Spirituals’ is only the most recent racially and historically-inspired collection of Bonner, whose past collections include ‘Ebonics’ and ‘Afrique’.

In 2015 Wales Bonner was awarded Emerging Menswear Designer at the British Fashion Awards. Bonner is a graduate of Central Saint Martins where her graduate collection ‘Afrique’ won L’Oréal Professional Talent Award.

What do you think of using the mainstream fashion industry to hold conversations about substantial topics related to social and historical issues unique to groups of people who are still underrepresented inside the fashion? Or, do you feel like these themes in fashion are purely exploitative? Read more about the show here. 

By Erin White, AFROPUNK contributor 

Behind the scenes photography by Jason Lloyd-Evans