PARIS (Reuters) -Birkin bag maker Hermes has named Grace Wales Bonner as its menswear creative director, replacing veteran Veronique Nichanian, who spent nearly four decades at the brand.

Wales Bonner, 35, who will show her first collection for the brand in January 2027, is part of a new generation taking the creative reins of some of the biggest names in fashion, including Chanel, LVMH-owned Dior and Kering's Gucci.

The industry has been shaking up design teams in an effort to pull out of a two-year slump, prompting a round of musical chairs, with the latest season of fashion shows featuring a record number of design debuts.

Hermes has generally been an outlier when it comes to designer reshuffles, keeping creative directors like Nichanian, 71, and jewellery and footwear designer Pierre Hardy, 69, in their jobs for decades.

Wales Bonner, whose name circulated as speculation swirled around top fashion jobs in recent months, is a Central Saint Martins graduate who has won a number of menswear design awards.