Wales Bonner Celebrates Britain's Black Scholars With FW21 Collection
Titled “Black Sunlight.”
Grace Wales Bonner looked to Saint Lucian poet Derek Walcott when crafting her latest collection, an ode to scholars from the Caribbean, India and West Africa who traveled to Britain to study at institutions such as Cambridge and Oxford during the ’80s. The Fall/Winter 2021 range, “Black Sunlight,” continues to investigate the cultural exchange between Britain and its colonies in the West Indies, this time interpreting the post-colonial relationship through a collegiate-inspired lens.
The designer cited a 1985 writing by Walcott as the guiding light behind her new collection: “The English language is nobody’s special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.” Savile Row suiting, a hallmark of British fashion, is constructed with colorful boating-striped fabric, a touch Wales Bonner describes as “classicism flourished with an Afro-Atlantic sensibility.” Similarly, scholarly shirting is hand-printed with floral graphics by Joy Gregory, an artist known for her studies of plants in Jamaican culture. Indian embroidery and hand-crocheting offer additional glimpses at the sartorial influence of the African diaspora. The collection also presents a continuation of Wales Bonner’s partnership with adidas Originals. Low-top sneakers and athletics-inspired separates round out the sharp yet effortless range.
Take a look at the lookbook for Wales Bonner FW21 above.
