Designer Grace Wales Bonner wins major award from the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund

The trailblazing talent is making waves with her unstoppable yet dynamic drive.

Having recently graduated from Central Saint Martins, rising designer Grace Wales Bonner has now been selected to receive the coveted 2019 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund Prize, worth £200,000. Alongside the life-changing prize, Bonner will gain a year of mentoring and support from industry insiders, an exciting opportunity for any emerging designer. Previous winners of the BFC/Vogue Fund comprise of an utterly encouraging group: including Christopher Kane, Erdem, Mary Katrantzou, Mother of Pearl, Nicholas Kirkwood, Palmer Harding, Peter Pilotto and last year’s winner, Molly Goddard.

The designer’s insightful, eclectic and powerful collections have won the hearts of some of the most noteworthy industry folks worldwide, in just a five-year timeframe since he graduation. Though, let’s not forget the fact she also picked up the LVMH Young Designer Prize back in 2016, which followed with an opportunity in lecturing at the prestigious Parson’s institute in New York City.

Her fellow finalists were Rejina Pyo, Charles Jeffrey, David Koma, Natalia Alaverdian of A.W.A.K.E Mode, Neous by Vanissa Antonious, Rosh Mahtan of Alighieri, and while all of them were worthy and vibrant contenders, it was Bonner who took the prize home.

GRACE WALES BONNER

British Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Edward Enninful, chair of the Fund’s committee stated that “Grace is a huge creative talent and her label Wales Bonner has a unique vision, which really relates to the now. Her diverse perspective and boundary breaking design is what we need more of within the industry. I look forward to seeing what this support propels her further”.

Not only has the young designer boomed in the industry in such a short space of time, as well as winning this prestigious award, Bonner’s label has also gained a shortlist for the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund in 2019, which will be revealed in early June.

Huge congrats, Grace – make this world your bedazzled oyster!

Follow Grace Wales Bonner on Instagram here.

words
Chidozie Obasi
images
Courtesy of Grace Wales Bonner