AMSTERDAM — September 29, 2020 — WeTransfer, the company that makes tools to move ideas, today announced it has partnered with iconic fashion designer, Grace Wales Bonner, for the launch of her upcoming collection, Essence. Through a bespoke story on WePresent, WeTransfer’s editorial platform, Grace gives behind-the-scenes access to the ideation and inspiration of her collection — showcasing interviews with collaborators and the process of her extensive research from start to finish. This marks the first crossover editorial project between WeTransfer Pro and WePresent. Additionally, Grace will launch a digital publication exclusively on her WeTransfer Pro page.
The Wales Bonner and WeTransfer Pro collaboration reveals the designer’s inspiring ideology behind her collections that centralize an Afro-Atlantic cultural perspective within the luxury fashion landscape and opens up her archive of work she admires and references for research. The digital campaign also highlights the meaningful connections Wales Bonner draws between Kingston and London through text, film, photography, and music.
“An essential point to my practice is research. I see that as the foundation to everything I do,”says Grace Wales Bonner. “I’m very interested in the idea of a multiplicity of perspectives and presenting something, or creating, in a way that’s collaborative. I almost see my research process as its own artistic practice. This includes a mix of academic research, visual research, and conversations with different people whom I work with, all contributing to a project that evolves over time. I’ve welcomed this opportunity to reveal a bit more of my ideology through this project I’m working on.”
Having worked previously with Wales Bonner on an edition of Devotional Sound, IAMSOUND developed the partnership between Wales Bonner and WeTransfer Pro.
Since the beginning, WeTransfer has been dedicated to supporting artists and their practice. Through its WePresent editorial platform, WeTransfer celebrates and showcases unexpected stories about creativity, uncovering under-the-radar works of art, photography, and music from around the world and the creative processes behind them. Together, WeTransfer and WePresent are highlighting the fascinating chasm between a spark of an idea and the delivery of the final product.
“Without question, the fashion industry has undergone tremendous changes due to the global pandemic and subsequent lockdown,” says Holly Fraser, Editor in Chief of WePresent. “We love how Grace turns a challenge into an opportunity and has given us a window into her intricate process, as well as imagery and archival material through this digital platform and campaign.”
The editorial can be found exclusively on WePresent and the digital publication will be available for exclusive download on Wales Bonner's WeTransfer Pro page here: https://we.tl/t-hoXLw7qNRb