Wales Bonner Spring/Summer 2017 Menswear Review

     Rising star Grace Wales Bonner has crafted yet another collection that brings to mind African men's culture and history, as well as masculine sexuality and identity. Cut from mostly pure whites and uniform blacks with little added color for effect, these clothes shape around the male body in a different way that I think has ever been seen in tailoring. The shapes of the clothes themselves spark interest because they are rather gender defying. The pants are not straight legged pants, but could be interpreted as a skirts, if one doesn't look too closely. Twists in shirting across the chest like sashes intrigues, with a sense of regalness to simple men's shirting, particularly Western men's shirting. Embroideries like African crochet techniques bring a personal touch and meaning to Bonner's styling.  It is interesting to see African culture inspiring a grand fashion collection that is honest and from the heart, rather than something superficial and exploitative. This is because Grace Wales Bonner herself was born of a Jamaican father and English mother. Her paternal grandfather  was a tailor, someone who would be making the traditional African celebratory garments that were always custom to what the customer wanted. There was no fast fashion in those days and certainly not in that culture, as we see increasingly today. Therefore, everything was made to last, and to fit perfectly to the specifications of the buyer. This must've had an influence on Grace, who's unique yet highly dignified menswear offerings stand out from the highly manufactured and ill-fitted clothes the world is currently becoming covered in. Grace is a fantastic new designer who's emerging talents should be heard around the world, and is potentially a game changing designer for offering clothes that are so incredibly authentic. 

Photo Credits: VogueRunway.com