Wales Bonner Reveals “Essence,” their Jamaican-Inspired Spring/Summer 2021 Collection

The collection, which features their collaborations with Adidas, comes with a short film and zine to introduce “Essence.”

Wales Bonner unveiled their new Spring/Summer 2021 collection. Titled “Essence,” the collection is London designer Grace Wales Bonner’s representation of the influx of Jamaican dancehall in the ‘80s in Britain.

The collection also features Wales Bonner’s collab pieces with adidas Originals, repped for by the abundance of shorts and tracksuits making their way in. The collection is an equal mix of sports and gym wear with well-tailored blazers and trousers. Color blocking, stripes, and cross-patterns all make their way into the several looks, which are emblazoned in bold cobalt blue, sunshine yellow, and hot pink, among others.

To celebrate the launch of the collection, Wales Bonner released a short film called Thinkin Home, created by Jeano Edwards. Tracking the journey of eight men through Jamaica, soundtracked by 80s dancehall, reggae, gospel, and spoken word, the film is a commemoration of “Essence” and what it says about the culture.

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⠀ ⠀ Filmed in Jamaica, Thinkin Home tracks the passage of eight young men as they move towards their destination, through lush scenery and the rich chromatics of the built environment. Against a soundscape of reggae, 80s dancehall, gospel and spoken word, we witness a communion. Thinkin Home introduces Essence, the Spring Summer 2021 Menswear and Womenswear Collections and was inspired by Rockers and iconic Jamaican filmmaking.⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Creative Direction Grace Wales Bonner ⠀ Director @internet_jeano⠀ Stylist @tom_guinness⠀ ⠀ All clothing Wales Bonner Essence Spring Summer 21⠀ and Adidas Originals for Wales Bonner Spring Summer 21 ⠀ ⠀ Executive Producer @iamsound Producer @maxine.walters Producer @jackpitney ⠀ Cast @saint_model_aakesh @official_romaine @selah_mchail @val_haughton1 @lawrenceofficiall and @jonnybaele at Saint International Jamaica Limited⠀ Casting @deiwghtpeters at @saintmodelsja⠀ ⠀ Score and Soundscape @jameswilliamblades⠀ Music Featuring Samples of Jah by Lee Scratch Perry, Cedric and Stephen Gibson ⠀ Score Musicians Jonathan Gibson on Cello, Oliver Mayo on Violin⠀ Poetry Nature by H.D. Carberry (published in 1921)

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The collection also came with a digital zine titled “Reflections on Essence,” written by Bonner herself. The zine is a look through the designer’s inspirations for her collections and how she set about exploring the relationship between Jamaica and Britain.

You can view Wales Bonner’s 2021 collection and the digital zine on their website.

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