As protests against the senseless murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless other Black bodies erupted over the globe this summer, Samuel Ross of A-Cold-Wall was one of the first figureheads in the world of fashion to offer his support. Alongside donating £10,000 towards Black Lives Matter financial aid, the designer put aside £25,000 in grants which went on to be donated to 10 individual Black-owned businesses.
Ross is a leader of substantial change, and his work with A-Cold-Wall often reflects the unprecedented world we inhabit. Bursting onto the fashion scene with a brutalist take on sportswear derived from his studies in architecture, the designer has been able to shape and adapt the brand’s codes to mould with the times we’re in.
His latest collection – his second since departing from London to show at Milan Fashion Week – is split into three parts, debuted in a film that responds to the way we live and dress in today’s world. Titled My Brother’s Keeper, the three stages of the film not only represent the realities of lockdown, the emergence back into the world and our journey into the future, but it also symbolises the three chapters of life – the teenage years to young adult, before arriving at manhood.
This season sees Ross introduce more soft, stretchy pieces that are adapted for our new working-from-home lifestyles. From ribbed jersey suits and suit trousers made from nylon, to quilted gilets and excellent knitwear – the softened approach aligns with Ross’ pivot to tailoring, as seen as soon as he arrived in Milan. The designer has spoken of wanting to create 50 per cent of what the brand makes in jersey moving into the foreseeable future. Ideal for the generation of the Zoom call.
Photography by Ben Marshall, Film directed by Pierre Debusschere.
