To make a mark in the fashion world takes originality, attitude, and the right approach. With so many brands fighting to be seen in a crowded market, it’s only the best that come through. Allow us to introduce A-Cold-Wall*, the most innovative, fresh and exciting UK fashion brand of the moment. Combining street and urban style with influences drawn from UK culture and modern architectural design, this is a brand that pushes the boundaries, and the bold use of industrial and technical approaches in both design and material.
Luxuriously made and designed – unlike many brands – not just to be seen in but to be comfortable to wear, A-Cold-Wall* takes a concept and brings it to reality via clever, critical thinking and superbly effective design. From stunning jackets that simply shout ‘21st Century’ to wonderfully discreet yet stylish and practical bags, this is a brand that takes the norms and challenges them, yet without moving away from its garments and accessories being wearable and practical, as well as superbly made and unique.
The influence of the underclasses prevalent in UK society have been a major influence on the owner of A-Cold-Wall*, Samuel Ross, who is also the lead designer. The stark and – at first – surprising use of technical material in creating logo-printed hoodies, reflect details as well as lounge wear is a combination that only a truly creative mind could envisage. Let’s meet Samuel Ross.
Introducing Samuel Ross
For many in the fashion world Samuel Ross needs no introduction. A young man, designer and innovator of great repute, he founded A-Cold-Wall* to bring his ideas to the fore, and to imbue the UK fashion world with his view on modern, practical and yet very special clothing. Inspired by brutalist architectural themes – check over the Spring Summer 20 (SS20) collection and you’ll see the simple lines and sharp detailing that typifies his thoughts – and an appreciation of art and its place in 21st Century Britain, Ross is a master at getting the point across without losing the beauty of the piece in the process.
Reacting to previous criticisms of his collections being more visual than wearable, both SS19 and SS20 have gone full-on to prove that Ross’s garments are to be worn, enjoyed and savoured, with his penchant for free thinking in terms of form and movement translating into a beautifully curated collection that stands out in a world of similarity and repetition. Samuel Ross is a designer who is unafraid to pair colours, materials and ideas that may not seem right on paper, but that work once translated into physical products.
SS20 is a collection that carries the name ‘Material Study for Social Architecture’ and which features themes of clay, lead, water and glass: malleability, strength, fluidity and transparency. All of this translates into a collection that is thought provoking and yet one that is entirely practical, and that is representative of street wear for the modern man. As an afterthought, it’s no surprise that Samuel Ross is extending his talent into a world of luxury design where he can use his creativity in the fields of experimental furniture and the avant-garde.
Collaborations and The National Gallery
A-Cold-Wall* offers the FW18 collection, a simply stunning collection of headgear and shorts, jackets and shirts, trousers, t-shirts and much more, inspired by Ross’s fascination with the works displayed in The National Gallery, London. This important collection of art is the perfect place to take inspiration from UK art and its history, as well as the social classes of the country and its influence on UK culture.
Such has been Samuel Ross and A-Cold-Wall*’s influence on the fashion scene that is wasn’t long before established names came knocking at the young man’s door. Recognising Ross as a talent with genuine, original credentials – and A-Cold-Wall* as a brand set to make major inroads into the market – Italian giant Diesel saw A-Cold-Wall* as a perfect collaborator. While Diesel celebrates and continues the legacy of denim and its working-class origins, A-Cold-Wall* is drawing from the class distinctions perhaps unique to Britain. While the two may – at first – seem poles apart, they make perfect partners as the collaborative garments prove.
A selection of unique tie-dyed shirts and jackets give the A-Cold-Wall* Diesel collaboration gravitas and a truly original approach that combines two great brands – one with decades behind it, the other a newcomer to the field with a very bright future. Such partnerships are not given away lightly, and Samuel Ross can be proud of an association with a constantly trendy brand that is unafraid to push the boundaries.
For the very latest in urban street wear with an original and stylish touch, the names to remember are A-Cold-Wall* and its young, inventive designer Samuel Ross, a man you’re going to hear much more about in the years to come.