Designer Grace Wales Bonner, who showed her latest collection at a catwalk show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday evening, also introduced a Wales Bonner x Crombie coat collaboration for the first time.
Founded in 1805, Crombie came under new ownership in 2022 – headed up by Managing Director, Gordon Ritchie, who was Head of Wholesale for the brand between 2011 and 2014, and backed by private investors.
Ritchie’s aim is to inject new energy in Crombie and raise its profile globally with the right collaborations, and this is believed to be the first of those.
The Crombie coats in the first Wales Bonner and Crombie collaboration have been handmade in Scotland from lightweight wool from English mills, combined with luxury trimmings in leather and bamboo from Wales Bonner.
Gordon Ritchie said: “As only the fourth owners of Crombie in 200 years, bringing Crombie to Paris Fashion Week in collaboration with Wales Bonner is a special moment that marks the beginning of the next chapter in Crombie’s incredible and unmatched heritage.”
Grace Wales Bonner added: “I am always interested in reimagining heritage traditions and so was particularly excited about working with Crombie this season. It has been great to be able to develop some special coats, bringing a Wales Bonner sensibility to exceptional British manufacturing.”
