Yomif Kejelcha Atomsa and Tamirat Tola, two Ethiopian long distance runners, ran a lap around the courtyard of La Monnaie de Paris last evening. The event was part of a performance put together by Grace Wales Bonner, featuring guests such as Lewis Hamilton and Naomi Campbell. The collection, titled Marathon, was described as an ode to long journeys and life missions.

The collection featured designs from Wales Bonner’s mainline and her ongoing brand partnership with adidas Originals. Men wore a denim suit with printed side stripes, while women wore a white jacket with silver beading and Wales Bonner’s preferred high collar. A cheetah spot cowhide vest with an uneven hem added a pop of color. A pair of white-piped pajama-style shorts and a marigold-printed blouse provided a pleasant diversion.

Sneakers included a reproduction of the adidas Neftegna with which Haile Gebrselassie won the Berlin Marathon in 2008. Tamirat Tola chose the fine knit and green and gold tracksuits. A running poncho in tattersall and a ’70s running short in check were among the interesting interplays between sports shapes and English country design.

The performance concluded with a post-finale performance on the lute-like masinko by Haddis Alemayehu. The event was a celebration of introspective pursuits and inspired movement, and a reminder of the power of fashionably late.
The fashion world has been stunned by the stunning success of the youngest recipient of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2017, British designer Grace Wales Bonner. Her success is a testament to the potential of young people to achieve great things in their careers.

Born in East London in 1991 to Jamaican parents, Wales Bonner showcased her first steps into the fashion world in her graduate collection addressing the African diaspora. With her clever strategy of blending contemporary fashion and cultural symbols, Wales Bonner began to bring critical recognition and an array of awards.

In 2015, the designer was awarded the L’Oreal Professionnel Creative Award, and she later received the Wallpaper Design Award and the British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Award. Her work was also featured in an exhibition showcasing the work of five renowned British designers at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

What sets Wales Bonner apart is her approach to fashion. Rather than simply creating clothes, she’s an exploration of art, expression, and cultural heritage. Her collections focus on the stories of the African diaspora, overlapping elements of reggae, jazz, and funk culture. She plays around with print, colour, and texture to create something unique and unexpected.

Wales Bonner has been featured in numerous publications around the world, including Vogue, The New York Times, and The Guardian. In 2020, she was the first Black woman to enter the influential LVMH Prize for Young Designers.

Grace Wales Bonner has shown the world that boundless potential knows no boundaries. Her innovation has pushed the boundaries of fashion, and she continues to inspire countless others to follow in her footsteps. Her work shows that all it takes to find success is passion, dedication, and lots of hard work.