London, UK – 9 January, 2023 – Esteemed British menswear designer, Grace Wales Bonner has signed on as the new mentor for international fashion and design school Istituto Marangoni London. The founder of London-based menswear label Wales Bonner and LVMH award-winning designer has become one of the most influential figures in contemporary men’s fashion. Grace joins a reputable list of past mentors, including Olivier Rousteing of Balmain for the Paris school and iconic British journalist Katie Grand for London last year. The partnership will result in a series of masterclasses and workshops in which Grace will share with the students of Istituto Marangoni London her extensive experience in the fashion and design industry, as well as introducing special guest talks and providing hands-on feedback for students.
Wales Bonner was launched by Grace Wales Bonner following her graduation from Central Saint Martins in 2014. The label is informed by broad cultural research and embraces a multiplicity of perspectives. Grace Wales Bonner has received numerous awards including Emerging Menswear Designer at the British Fashion Awards (2015), the LVMH Young Designer Prize (2016), Winner of the British Fashion Council/ Vogue Designer Fashion Fund (2019), CFDA International Men’s Designer of the Year (2021) and The Fashion Awards Independent British Brand (2022).
In 2019, Grace was invited by Maria Grazia Chiuri to collaborate with Dior to re-interpret the house’s New Look silhouette for its Resort 2020 collection. She has also collaborated with brands including Adidas Originals, Savile Row Tailors Anderson & Sheppard, Charvet, Manolo Blahnik and Swarovski. In 2019, she curated an institutional exhibition, A Time for New Dreams, at Serpentine Galleries, London. Grace is Head of the Department of Fashion Design at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna and has previously taught as an associate lecturer at Central Saint Martins, London and lectured at Parsons School of Design, New York City.
In addition to having direct access and creative feedback from Grace for designs created at the school, a number of exclusive opportunities to support Grace’s Paris Fashion Week show in February 2023 will provide students unprecedented experience working on showcasing a major collection in London and Paris. The project compliments Istituto Marangoni philosophy and strategies around learning, teaching and industry readiness. It reflects the school’s commitment to engage students with activities that stem from our approaches to collaborations, publications, and industry readiness.
“It is with great honour and admiration that we announce the collaboration of the London School with Grace Wales Bonner on this inspiring creative mentorship programme. We are excited for the students to have the opportunity to master their craft alongside such an influential figure for young designers and fashion moguls worldwide. Grace’s time and motivation to drive new talent is empowering and inspiring to watch in action. I cannot wait to witness the abundance of creativity and passion that will result from this outstanding collaboration of great young minds” said Valérie Berdah-Levy, London’s School Director.
“I am looking forward to supporting the development of the students at Istituto Marangoni and to sharing the realities expected of emerging design professionals” said Grace Wales Bonner.
To see Wales Bonner’s latest collection, visit: https://walesbonner.net/ and Instagram @walesbonner
To learn more about Istituto Marangoni, please visit their website: https://www.istitutomarangoni.com/en and Instagram at @IstitutoMarangoni_London.