Wales Bonner

New Adidas Originals and Wales Bonner SS21 collaboration collection.

Photography: Bethany Vargas

A subdued tension vibrates between the threads of Grace Wales Bonner pieces. Raised in the imperial core of London and of Jamican heritage, schooled at the lauded Central St. Martins - the poetics of her work involve an exploration at the seam of colonialism, rooted in historicism and the exchanges of expression along the Afro-Atlantic diaspora.

To prepare work for her SS21 collection, Bonner decamped to Kingston, focusing her reflections on 80’s Jamaica, where the sophistication of eurocentric tailoring and styling was desired...but not fully. Remixed and dub-echoed across the Atlantic like a King Tubby production, the fine-tailoring of London’s savile row or shirting of Jermyn street find their way to the dancehall... intertwined with west-african jacquard textiles and loose knits more fitting for equatorial climate.

The explorations gain more traction with the well received Adidas collaboration - where the brands research team helped mine a wealth of archival imagery to great effect, allowing for an edit on 80’s footballer silhouettes with bright pinging colors and raw stitching.

The resulting works are subtle with an attention to detail, a fine tailored expression of global culture and expansive futures.

A subdued tension vibrates between the threads of Grace Wales Bonner pieces. Raised in the imperial core of London and of Jamican heritage, schooled at the lauded Central St. Martins - the poetics of her work involve an exploration at the seam of colonialism, rooted in historicism and the exchanges of expression along the Afro-Atlantic diaspora.

To prepare work for her SS21 collection, Bonner decamped to Kingston, focusing her reflections on 80’s Jamaica, where the sophistication of eurocentric tailoring and styling was desired...but not fully. Remixed and dub-echoed across the Atlantic like a King Tubby production, the fine-tailoring of London’s savile row or shirting of Jermyn street find their way to the dancehall... intertwined with west-african jacquard textiles and loose knits more fitting for equatorial climate.

The explorations gain more traction with the well received Adidas collaboration - where the brands research team helped mine a wealth of archival imagery to great effect, allowing for an edit on 80’s footballer silhouettes with bright pinging colors and raw stitching.

The resulting works are subtle with an attention to detail, a fine tailored expression of global culture and expansive futures.