A-Cold-Wall*’s Samuel Ross: ‘Streetwear Used To Be A Class Thing’

In menswear, streetwear is less a genre and more simply the norm. At this week’s spring 2019 shows, you could probably count on one hand the collections that didn’t feature trainers. But one person who doesn’t throw the term around with abandon is the designer Samuel Ross. “Streetwear, hmm. I’m not too keen on it as a word,” says Ross, 27, leaning back in his chair. “But it is a powerful one.” I ask him to expand. “Well, it used to be used as a separator. Them and us. A class thing. But now luxury houses are adapting to it.” He pauses. “The people who are in that category are the ones dominating fashion.” If Ross is not yet dominating fashion, he can almost taste it. Since launching his menswear label A-Cold-Wall* (ACW) in autumn 2015, aged 25, in three seasons he has become a rising star of British menswear with his cerebral, arty and futuristic take on, well, streetwear. A brace of recent nominations – the prestigious LVMH prize (he just lost out) and the Andam fashion award (still to come) – have sent his label global. His clothes are worn by the R&B star Kehlani, the actor Jaden Smith and the designer Virgil Abloh. Read more at The Guardian.