Samuel Ross

Last updated
Dr
Samuel Ross
MBE
Born (1991-05-26) May 26, 1991 (age 34)
Brixton, United Kingdom
Alma mater De Montfort University
Occupation(s)Artist, creative director, fashion and furniture designer
AwardsHonorary doctorate, University of Westminster (2021) [1]
Member of the Order of the British Empire (2023) [2]
Website samuel-ross.com

Samuel Ross (born 1991) is a British fashion designer, creative director, and artist. [3] [4] He is known for founding the fashion label A-COLD-WALL*, Industrial Design studio SR_A SR_A, and the Black British Artists Grants Programme. [5] [6] [7] [8] Since founding these organisations, Ross has collaborated with companies such as Apple, Kohler, LVMH, Nike, and William Grant & Sons. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] Ross's output is often characterised as "social architecture for the body", captured through abstraction, brutalism, and deconstruction.[ buzzword ][ citation needed ]

Contents

Early life and education

Ross was born in the Brixton neighbourhood of London, United Kingdom to second generation Windrush parents of Caribbean descent. [4] Shortly after his birth he moved to Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. [17] He attended and graduated from de Montfort University, Leicester where he received first class honours for a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and Illustration and was awarded the FSG design award in 2012. [18] [19]

Career

After graduating from university, Ross worked as a graphic and product designer for various commercial and industrial companies. [17]

He went on to intern for, and subsequently hired by Virgil Abloh, who became Ross's mentor. In 2012 Ross became Abloh's first design assistant.[ citation needed ] During his time working for Abloh, Ross also designed for Kanye West's creative content company Donda and related companies. [20] [21]

In 2014 Ross independently founded A-COLD-WALL*, a fashion label, self-described as a "material study for social architecture." [22] [23] The company was acquired by Tomorrow Ltd. in 2024. [24] [25]

In 2019 Ross founded SR_A SR_A. Ross launched SR_A (Samuel Ross & Associates) at the Hublot Prize exhibition in the Serpentine Gallery in 2019. [26] SR_A is a studio operating within the fields of artisan-driven, industrial beautification of precious garments, objects and space. [27]

In 2020 Ross established the Black British Artist Grants programme. [28] Each year the scheme offers 10 bursaries of £2,500 to selected applicants from a range of art and design disciplines. [29] [30] Past recipients of the award include designer Mac Collins, designer Nifemi Marcus Bello, [31] photographer Ronan Mckenzie, and architect Dominique PetiteFrère. [32] [33] The programme has independently provided 50 artists with funding, connecting the next generation of talent to global institutions.[ citation needed ] The programme advisory board is composed of the following: The Kings Foundation, [34] The V&A Museum, [35] The British Fashion Council, [36] The Royal College of Art, [37] The Design Museum [38] and The University of Westminster. [39] Ross summarises the endeavour as "holistic design for change".[ citation needed ]

In 2022 the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) held an exhibition titled Fashion design: Samuel Ross / A-COLD-WALL*, and in 2023 Ross exhibited his paintings and sculptures in a solo show titled Land at the White Cube gallery in London, [40] [41] as well as Coarse, and exhibition of sculptural pieces that was his second solo show at the Freidman Benda gallery in New York. [42] His work was also included in the exhibition Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth at Chatsworth House, and The New Transcendence at Friedman Benda Gallery, NY (both curated by Glenn Adamson). [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] Examples of Ross's work are held in the collections of museums such as the Denver Art Museum, Dallas Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, National Museum of Scotland, and the Design Museum and V&A in London. [48] [49] [50]

In 2023, Ross was hired by Apple for the newly created role of "Principal Design Consultant for Beats". [51] [52]

In 2024 he designed a smart toilet and taps for Kohler. [53] [54] [55] [56]

Ross is the artistic director of the 2025 London Design Biennale. [57] [58] [59] [60]

Honours and awards

Ross was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to fashion. [2]

Ross is the recipient of the 2018 British Fashion Award for Emerging Menswear Designer, [61] the 2019 Hublot Design Prize, [62] Forbes 30 under 30 Europe, [63] the 2020 GQ USA Fashion Award [64] and the 2020 People of the Year British Fashion Award for his philanthropic endeavours. [65] He received an honorary doctorate from The University of Westminster in 2021. [1] Ross is a recipient of a 2021 British Fashion Award, within the category 'Leaders of Change'. [66]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "University of Westminster awards fashion designer Samuel Ross with Honorary Doctorate degree". University of Westminster . Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  2. 1 2 3 "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N24.
  3. ↑ "Dr. Samuel Ross MBE". London Design Festival . Retrieved 2025-05-10.
  4. 1 2 "Samuel Ross – Continuous study of fashion design, installation art, sculpture & living space". www.samuel-ross.com. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  5. ↑ "A-COLD-WALL* Official Online Flagship". A-COLD-WALL*. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  6. ↑ "SR_A SR_A Boutique". sr-a.com. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  7. ↑ "SR_A SR_A BLACK BRITISH ARTIST GRANTS". community.samuel-ross.com. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  8. ↑ Gonzalez, Elaine (2024-08-15). "Artnoir, Sotheby's and SR_A's Black British Artist Grant Program Announce UK Edition of the Jar of Love Fund 2024". Sugarcane Magazine ™| Black Art Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  9. ↑ "Apple's powerhouse headphone brand Beats has a new designer. See his first big product". Fast Company Middle East | The future of tech, business and innovation. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  10. ↑ "Hublot and designer Samuel Ross present Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon SR_A, in a 50-piece limited edition". LVMH. 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  11. ↑ "Architectural Association creates terracotta floor show for Samuel Ross' Nike capsule collection". Dezeen. 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  12. ↑ "Samuel Ross and Virgil Abloh on the power of mentorship". British GQ. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  13. ↑ "Samuel Ross Searches for a New "Bleeding Edge and High Risk" Watchmaking Aesthetic". HYPEBEAST. 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  14. ↑ "Samuel Ross and The Balvenie Have Announced a Partnership for Milan Design Week". Hypebeast . 2025-03-18. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  15. ↑ Zhang, Tianwei (2025-03-18). "Samuel Ross to Debut Sculptural Installation With The Balvenie at Milan Design Week". WWD. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  16. ↑ Tsimpou, Thomai (2025-04-08). "samuel ross on TRANSPOSITION, his 'vertical river' installation for the balvenie in milan". Designboom . Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  17. 1 2 "Samuel Ross, Designer Of A-Cold-Wall*, Talks Streetwear And Breaking Down Social Barriers". British Vogue. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  18. ↑ "Samuel Ross unveils his material instinct for Hublot". Esquire SG. 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  19. ↑ "Samuel Ross | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry". www.businessoffashion.com. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  20. ↑ "Samuel Ross Makes Sense Of Streetwear In High Fashion". T Singapore. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  21. ↑ Ferrier, Morwenna (2018-06-13). "A-Cold-Wall*'s Samuel Ross: 'Streetwear used to be a class thing'". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  22. ↑ "A-Cold-Wall Spring 2023 Menswear Collection". Vogue. 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  23. ↑ "A-COLD-WALL". LVMH PRIZE. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  24. ↑ Leitch, Luke (2024-02-20). "Tomorrow comes for Samuel Ross". Vogue Business. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  25. ↑ "Tomorrow Ltd Acquires Samuel Ross' A-Cold-Wall". The Business of Fashion. 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  26. ↑ "Samuel Ross Introduces New Design Venture Sr_A". HYPEBEAST. 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  27. ↑ "Conversations: Samuel Ross of A-Cold-Wall*". Roden Gray. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  28. ↑ "SR_A SR_A BLACK BRITISH ARTIST GRANTS". community.samuel-ross.com. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  29. ↑ "Applications open for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme 2022". Royal College of Art . Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  30. ↑ "Samuel Ross' Black British Artist Grant Programme Launches for 2022". Hypebeast. 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  31. ↑ Owoh, Ugonna-Ora (2022-12-20). "Nifemi Marcus-Bello is the Nigerian designer shaping Africa's designscape". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  32. ↑ Hughes, Stella (2022-08-17). "HERE'S HOW TO ENTER SAMUEL ROSS' BLACK BRITISH ARTIST GRANT PROGRAMME". CULTED. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  33. ↑ Moss, Jack (2022-08-17). "Samuel Ross announces fourth chapter of Black British Artist Grant Programme". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  34. ↑ "The King's Foundation". www.kings-foundation.org. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  35. ↑ "Fashion design: Samuel Ross / A-COLD-WALL* · V&A". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  36. ↑ "British Fashion Council – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging". www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  37. ↑ "Applications open for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme 2023". RCA Website. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  38. ↑ Jack Moss (2022-08-17). "Samuel Ross announces fourth chapter of Black British Artist Grant Programme". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  39. ↑ "Andrew Groves will be on the Advisory Board for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme – 2022". University of Westminster . Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  40. ↑ Elisha, Tawe (2023-04-06). "Samuel Ross at White Cube: Land, abstraction and the Black interior". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  41. ↑ "Samuel Ross – master of the multidisciplinary space". Financial Times. 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  42. ↑ Sayej, Nadja (2023-05-24). "Samuel Ross' New Exhibition 'COARSE' Is Anything But". Observer. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  43. ↑ "Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth". www.chatsworth.org. Archived from the original on 2023-03-03. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  44. ↑ Bertoli, Rosa (2023-03-17). "Chatsworth House design exhibition explores contemporary design themes in an eclectic setting". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  45. ↑ Madlener, Adrian (2023-03-17). "How Can You Make an English Manor Filled With Old Masters Feel Contemporary? At Chatsworth House, the Answer Is Cutting-Edge Design". Artnet News. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  46. ↑ "Friedman Benda NY considers design as motifs of 'The New Transcendence'". www.stirpad.com. Retrieved 2024-03-04.
  47. ↑ Barandy, Kat (13 January 2024). "the new transcendence: friedman benda highlights artists from andrea branzi to samuel ross". designboom architecture & design magazine. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  48. ↑ "Dallas Museum of Art Acquires Work by Samuel Ross – Friedman Benda". www.friedmanbenda.com. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  49. ↑ "Denver Art Museum Acquires Work by Samuel Ross – Friedman Benda". www.friedmanbenda.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  50. ↑ Prempeh, Charlene (2023-05-04). "Dalla moda al product design,alla pittura: l'ascesa multitasking di Samuel Ross". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  51. ↑ Ilchi, Layla (2023-06-20). "Beats Taps A-Cold-Wall's Samuel Ross as Principal Design Consultant". WWD. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  52. ↑ "Samuel Ross Appointed as Beats Principal Design Consultant". Hypebeast. 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  53. ↑ Madlener, Adrian (2024-02-29). "Smart toilet by Samuel Ross for Kohler flushes out the inefficiencies of conventional designs". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  54. ↑ "Samuel Ross designs textured toilet that is "closer to a sculpture"". Dezeen. 2024-03-26. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  55. ↑ Sharma, Anushka (Apr 15, 2024). "Kohler x SR_A unveil limited-edition smart toilet 'Formation 02' and installation for MDW". StirWorld. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  56. ↑ Madlener, Adrian (2023-09-20). "First look at Samuel Ross' revolutionary faucet for Kohler". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  57. ↑ "Samuel Ross appointed artistic director of London Design Biennale 2025". Dezeen . 2024-03-13. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  58. ↑ Bertoli, Rosa (2024-03-13). "Samuel Ross announced as artistic director of London Design Biennale 2025". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  59. ↑ "London Design Biennale". ldb-website. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  60. ↑ Features, Francesca Perry published in (2025-06-09). "'Designers are far more than just producers of commercial goods': Samuel Ross on the London Design Biennale". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  61. ↑ "Samuel Ross is part of the BoF 500". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  62. ↑ Magazine, Wallpaper* (2019-09-27). "A-Cold-Wall's Samuel Ross lifts the 2019 Hublot Design Prize". Wallpaper* . Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  63. ↑ "Samuel Ross". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  64. ↑ Ma, Fiona (2019-06-10). "A-Cold-Wall's Samuel Ross Wins the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund Award". WWD. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  65. ↑ "British Fashion Council – The Fashion Awards 2020 Honourees Announced". www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  66. ↑ "All the Winners from Britain's The Fashion Awards". Vogue. 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  67. ↑ "Best Contemporary Design Object: Fire Opens Stone Bench by Samuel Ross, presented by Friedman Benda". Design Miami . Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  68. ↑ "Dr. Samuel Ross MBE". www.edida-awards.com. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
  69. ↑ "Samuel Ross MBE tells the story of his most treasured possession". ELLE Decoration. 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-05-10.


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