On a day when the industry learned that Christopher Kane might be closing down his business – news that doesn’t bode well for independent designers, magazines, or anything independent and not owned by a conglomerate – it was wonderful to see Grace Wales Bonner put on a jewel of a fashion show loosely themed around marathon runners and the clothes they wear while on the track or celebrating a win. She mixed sporty pieces with fine Savile Row tailoring and added a touch of military influence. Wales Bonner is in the business for the long run, slowly but surely adding categories and continuing her successful relationship with adidas, paying tribute to the adidas Neftegna shoe that Haile Gebrselassie used in Berlin in 2008 to break the world record. She is the designer who blazes the trail for a new generation of anthropological attitudes with her research-driven approach to the garments and culture of her Afro-Atlantic ancestry. This represents the current zeitgeist and has helped her carve out a niche. Her approach is not solely focused on merchandise and selling, but rather takes a sociological point of view, considering how fashion interacts with everyday lives. This time, she paid tribute to the African countries from which the best marathon runners hail, such as Kenya and Ethiopia, incorporating elements of shepherds and equestrians in checked outerwear or calfskin riding boots. Wales Bonner continues her love affair with cheetah-printed cowhide.