Grace Wales Bonner channels the technical history of John Smedley to bring a the edge to soft archive textures.
While the industry buzzes about Grace Wales Bonner‘s upcoming debut as the creative lead for Hermès menswear, the designer is currently sharpening the edges of her own label with a hyper-focused return to British manufacturing.
That domestic focus led her to the floor of the John Smedley mill in Derbyshire. The facility has operated for 240 years, holding a deep physical archive of English knitwear evolution that predates the modern fashion system entirely. Wales Bonner didn’t just walk the production line; she extracted specific check textures and lace-collar constructions found in the company’s back catalog.
Those delicate, archival details now form the backbone of her Spring/Summer 2026 offering. She reworked the softer, angelic elements of the Smedley history into a sharper, preppier context that fits the current mood of her eponymous brand. The result is a trio of Merino wool polo shirts that feel less like retro reproductions and more like future heirlooms.
These wool staples land in three distinct colors, each carrying a subtle co-branded logo on the chest. They are available now, serving as a tangible bridge between Wales Bonner’s independent vision and the high-stakes craftsmanship she is about to oversee on a global stage.
