The Wales Bonner Spring/Summer 2025 collection is a voyage into tropical prints and maritime-inspired fashion. Designer Grace Wales Bonner drew inspiration from the colorful textile designs of Trinidadian artist Althea McNish to create a sparkling coed collection full of saturated hues and breezy silhouettes perfect for holiday fantasies by the sea.
Stripes were a key motif, appearing in nautical blue and cream on chunky knit sweaters and in shades of moss and chive green on polos and tees. Oversize cotton shirts came in tone-on-tone stripes for a subtle take on the theme. Sequin embroidery added watery sparkle to abstract sea creature designs on fluttery tops and skirts.
Wales Bonner worked closely with the McNish Trust to adapt the late artist’s exuberant prints for the collection. A sunflower pattern in yellow and artichoke green blossomed across a low-slung skirt and boxy top, while violet-toned poppies sprouted on a sharp blazer. The prints spilled onto windbreakers and skirts, their rich colors bleeding into sporty separates in burgundy and swim trunks in dark tomato red.
Formal pieces grounded the collection, including elegant satin coats and impeccably tailored suiting by Anderson & Sheppard. The pairing of sleek black tuxedo trousers and hoodie with a brushstroke print will be ideal for warm weather red carpets.
Gleaming black sequined adidas sneakers, leather shorts patched with rivets, and cropped nylon workwear conjured images of harbor lights reflecting on the sea at night. Marine striped knits and minutely subverted formalwear suiting by Crombie suggested maritime cities and a sense of “otherness.”
The collection marked a growing focus on womenswear, which now comprises 50% of the Wales Bonner business. Perforated stretch knit tank dresses and sheer print dresses demonstrated the designer’s exactitude and transformative approach even to apparently small design details.
Read more: Wales Bonner reinvents the adidas Samba with retro flair
©Photo: Wales Bonner
