Wikipedia

Samuel Ross

Samuel Ross MBE (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]

Dr
Samuel Ross
MBE
Portrait of Samuel Ross wearing a dark jumper, prominent wristwatch and pinkie ring; the tattoos on his forearms clearly visible.
Ross in 2026
Born (1991-05-26) May 26, 1991 (age 35)
Brixton, United Kingdom
Alma materDe Montfort University
Occupations
  • Artist
  • Creative director
  • Designer
  • Entrepreneur
Awards
Websitesamuel-ross.com

Early life and education

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Ross was born in the Brixton neighbourhood of London, United Kingdom to first generation 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

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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 was subsequently hired by Virgil Abloh, who became Ross's mentor.[20] In 2012 Ross became Abloh's first design assistant.[21] During his time working for Abloh, Ross also designed for Kanye West's creative content company Donda and related companies.[22][23] Ross's work has been compared to the Australian designer Marc Newson's early designs (Ross readily admits "that he wants to become his generation's [Marc] Newson"),[24] as well as that of English graphic artist Peter Saville—both of whom have also become friends and admirers of Ross's work.[25]

In 2014 Ross independently founded A-COLD-WALL*, a fashion label, self-described as a "material study for social architecture."[26][27] The company was acquired by Tomorrow Ltd. in 2024.[28][29]

In 2019 Ross and his business partner Yi Ng [d] founded SR_A SR_A.[30] Ross launched SR_A (Samuel Ross & Associates) at the Hublot Prize exhibition in the Serpentine Gallery in 2019.[31] SR_A is a studio operating within the fields of artisan-driven, industrial beautification of precious garments, objects and space.[buzzword][32]

In 2020 Ross established the Black British Artists Grants Programme [d].[33] Each year the scheme offers 10 bursaries of £2,500 to selected applicants from a range of art and design disciplines.[34][35] Past recipients of the award include designer Mac Collins, designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello [d],[36] photographer Ronan Mckenzie, and architect Dominique Petit-Frère [d].[37][38] 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,[39] The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A),[40] The British Fashion Council,[41] The Royal College of Art,[42] The Design Museum [43] and The University of Westminster.[44] Ross summarises the endeavour as "holistic design for change".[citation needed]

In 2022 the 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,[45][46] as well as Coarse, and exhibition of sculptural pieces that was his second solo show at the Freidman Benda [d] gallery in New York.[47] 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).[48][49][50][51][52] Examples of Ross's work are held in the Metropolitan Museum,[53] Denver Art Museum,[54] Dallas Museum of Art,[55] Museum of Fine Arts, SCAD Museum of Art, National Museum of Scotland, as well as the Design Museum and V&A in London.[56]

In 2023, Ross was hired by Apple for the newly created role of "Principal Design Consultant for Beats".[57][58]

In 2024 he designed a smart toilet and taps for Kohler.[59][60][61][62]

Ross was the artistic director of the 2025 London Design Biennale.[63][64][65][66] Also in 2025 he participated in Zara's 50th Anniversary collection along with a group of 50 artists and creative industry heavyweights including Pedro Almodóvar, David Chipperfield, Es Devlin, Vincent Van Duysen [nl], Norman Foster, Luca Guadagnino, Annie Leibovitz, Kate Moss, and Marc Newson.[67][68]

Design by Category

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Technology

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  • WHOOP LLC[69]
  • Apple c/o Beats by Dre LLC[70]

Horology

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Fragrance

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  • Acqua di Parma (LVMH)

Eyewear

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  • Oakley (Luxottica SRL)

Bathroom

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  • Kohler LLC

Footwear

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  • Timberland LLC
  • Dr. Martens Ltd

Sportswear

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  • Nike LLC
  • Converse LLC

Liqueur and spirits

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  • The Balvenie
  • Absolut Vodka

Automotive and transport

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  • RIDECAKE — EV motorbike

Architecture (permanent structures, temporary installations, public furniture and infrastructure)

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  • London Fashion Week, AW19 — Runway (2019)
  • Milan Fashion Week, SS20 — Runway (2020)
  • Design Miami, TERMINAL 01 — Large-scale installation (2023)
  • Milan Design Week,TERMINAL 02 — Large-scale installation (2024)
  • Miami Design District — Permanent installation, twenty steel benches (2024)
  • City of London, Sculpture in the City — Large-scale installation (2024)
  • Milan Design Week, TRANSPOSITION — Large-scale installation (2025)
  • Hublot Watch Manufacture, Geneva, Switzerland (Completion: 2027–2028)

Honours and awards

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Ross is the recipient of the 2018 British Fashion Award for Emerging Menswear Designer,[72] the 2019 Hublot Design Prize,[73][74] Forbes 30 under 30 Europe,[75] the 2020 GQ USA Fashion Award[76] and the 2020 People of the Year British Fashion Award for his philanthropic endeavours.[77] 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'.[78] Ross was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to fashion.[2] In 2025, Ross was awarded an honorary doctorate by De Montfort University.[79]

  • 2012 FSG design award
  • 2017 British Fashion Council (BFC) Newgen Award
  • 2018 British Fashion Award, Emerging Talent
  • 2018 LVMH Prize (finalist)
  • 2018 Andam Grand Prize (nominated)
  • 2018 BFC Newgen 2018/2019
  • 2019 Hublot LVMH Design Prize[74]
  • 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30
  • 2019 BFC GQ Fashion Fund Award
  • 2019 BFC Newgen
  • 2020 British Fashion Award, Person of the Year (philanthropy)
  • 2020 GQ USA Fashion Award
  • 2020 International Woolmark Prize 2020 (finalist)
  • 2021 British Fashion Award, Leader of Change Award
  • 2021 Honorary PhD (Doctor Honoris Causa) conferred by the University of Westminster[1]
  • 2022 London Chamber Of Commerce, Outstanding Contribution To Fashion
  • 2022 Soho House Award, Established Change-maker Award
  • 2023 Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to fashion[2]
  • 2024 Best Contemporary Design Object, DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL[80]
  • 2025 Elle Deco International Design Award (EDIDA)[81][82]
  • 2025 Elle Deco Japan – Young Design Talent Award
  • 2025 Honorary Doctor of Design (Hon DDes), De Montfort University


References

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  1. 1 2 3 "University of Westminster awards fashion designer Samuel Ross with Honorary Doctorate degree". University of Westminster. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N24.
  3. ↑ "Dr. Samuel Ross MBE". London Design Festival. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Samuel Ross – Continuous study of fashion design, installation art, sculpture & living space". www.samuel-ross.com. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "A-COLD-WALL* Official Online Flagship". A-COLD-WALL*. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "SR_A SR_A Boutique". sr-a.com. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "SR_A SR_A BLACK BRITISH ARTIST GRANTS". community.samuel-ross.com. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  8. ↑ Gonzalez, Elaine (15 August 2024). "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 18 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "Apple's powerhouse headphone brand Beats has a new designer. See his first big product". Fast Company. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Hublot and designer Samuel Ross present Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon SR_A, in a 50-piece limited edition". LVMH. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Architectural Association creates terracotta floor show for Samuel Ross' Nike capsule collection". Dezeen. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "Samuel Ross and Virgil Abloh on the power of mentorship". British GQ. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Samuel Ross Searches for a New "Bleeding Edge and High Risk" Watchmaking Aesthetic". Hypebeast. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  14. ↑ "Samuel Ross and The Balvenie Have Announced a Partnership for Milan Design Week". Hypebeast. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  15. ↑ Zhang, Tianwei (18 March 2025). "Samuel Ross to Debut Sculptural Installation With The Balvenie at Milan Design Week". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  16. ↑ Tsimpou, Thomai (8 April 2025). "samuel ross on TRANSPOSITION, his 'vertical river' installation for the balvenie in milan". Designboom. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  17. 1 2 "Samuel Ross, Designer Of A-Cold-Wall*, Talks Streetwear And Breaking Down Social Barriers". British Vogue. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  18. ↑ "Samuel Ross unveils his material instinct for Hublot". Esquire. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "Samuel Ross | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry". www.businessoffashion.com. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  20. ↑ Broeke, Teo van den (10 June 2019). "Samuel Ross and Virgil Abloh on the power of mentorship". British GQ. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  21. ↑ Dazed (1 November 2022). "'I'm obsessed with scaring myself': meet Samuel Ross's fashion prodigies". Dazed. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  22. ↑ "Samuel Ross Makes Sense Of Streetwear In High Fashion". T Singapore. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  23. ↑ Ferrier, Morwenna (13 June 2018). "A-Cold-Wall*'s Samuel Ross: 'Streetwear used to be a class thing'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  24. ↑ Maoui, Zak (1 March 2023). "Samuel Ross is building his own world". British GQ. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "Everything you need to know about Virgil Abloh protégé Samuel Ross". ELLE Decoration. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "A-Cold-Wall Spring 2023 Menswear Collection". Vogue. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  27. ↑ "A-COLD-WALL". LVMH PRIZE. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  28. ↑ Leitch, Luke (20 February 2024). "Tomorrow comes for Samuel Ross". Vogue Business. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  29. ↑ "Tomorrow Ltd Acquires Samuel Ross' A-Cold-Wall". The Business of Fashion. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  30. ↑ Monisse, Nic (26 March 2026). "Samuel Ross and Yi Ng's vision for SR_A and the future of luxury". Monocle magazine. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  31. ↑ "Samuel Ross Introduces New Design Venture Sr_A". HYPEBEAST. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  32. ↑ "Conversations: Samuel Ross of A-Cold-Wall*". Roden Gray. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  33. ↑ "SR_A SR_A BLACK BRITISH ARTIST GRANTS". community.samuel-ross.com. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  34. ↑ "Applications open for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme 2022". Royal College of Art. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  35. ↑ "Samuel Ross' Black British Artist Grant Programme Launches for 2022". Hypebeast. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  36. ↑ Owoh, Ugonna-Ora (20 December 2022). "Nifemi Marcus-Bello is the Nigerian designer shaping Africa's designscape". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  37. ↑ Hughes, Stella (17 August 2022). "HERE'S HOW TO ENTER SAMUEL ROSS' BLACK BRITISH ARTIST GRANT PROGRAMME". CULTED. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  38. ↑ Moss, Jack (17 August 2022). "Samuel Ross announces fourth chapter of Black British Artist Grant Programme". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  39. ↑ "The King's Foundation". www.kings-foundation.org. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  40. ↑ "Fashion design: Samuel Ross / A-COLD-WALL* · V&A". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  41. ↑ "British Fashion Council – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging". www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  42. ↑ "Applications open for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme 2023". RCA Website. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  43. ↑ Jack Moss (17 August 2022). "Samuel Ross announces fourth chapter of Black British Artist Grant Programme". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  44. ↑ "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.
  45. ↑ Elisha, Tawe (6 April 2023). "Samuel Ross at White Cube: Land, abstraction and the Black interior". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  46. ↑ "Samuel Ross – master of the multidisciplinary space". Financial Times. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  47. ↑ Sayej, Nadja (24 May 2023). "Samuel Ross' New Exhibition 'COARSE' Is Anything But". Observer. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  48. ↑ "Mirror Mirror: Reflections on Design at Chatsworth". www.chatsworth.org. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  49. ↑ Bertoli, Rosa (17 March 2023). "Chatsworth House design exhibition explores contemporary design themes in an eclectic setting". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  50. ↑ Madlener, Adrian (17 March 2023). "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 19 March 2023.
  51. ↑ "Friedman Benda NY considers design as motifs of 'The New Transcendence'". www.stirpad.com. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  52. ↑ Barandy, Kat (13 January 2024). "the new transcendence: friedman benda highlights artists from andrea branzi to samuel ross". Designboom. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  53. ↑ "Samuel Ross – "ANAESTHESIA I" desk". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  54. ↑ "Denver Art Museum Acquires Work by Samuel Ross – Friedman Benda". www.friedmanbenda.com. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  55. ↑ "Dallas Museum of Art Acquires Work by Samuel Ross – Friedman Benda". www.friedmanbenda.com. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  56. ↑ Prempeh, Charlene (4 May 2023). "Dalla moda al product design,alla pittura: l'ascesa multitasking di Samuel Ross". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  57. ↑ Ilchi, Layla (20 June 2023). "Beats Taps A-Cold-Wall's Samuel Ross as Principal Design Consultant". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  58. ↑ "Samuel Ross Appointed as Beats Principal Design Consultant". Hypebeast. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  59. ↑ Madlener, Adrian (29 February 2024). "Smart toilet by Samuel Ross for Kohler flushes out the inefficiencies of conventional designs". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  60. ↑ "Samuel Ross designs textured toilet that is "closer to a sculpture"". Dezeen. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  61. ↑ Sharma, Anushka (15 April 2024). "Kohler x SR_A unveil limited-edition smart toilet 'Formation 02' and installation for MDW". StirWorld. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  62. ↑ Madlener, Adrian (20 September 2023). "First look at Samuel Ross' revolutionary faucet for Kohler". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  63. ↑ "Samuel Ross appointed artistic director of London Design Biennale 2025". Dezeen. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  64. ↑ Bertoli, Rosa (13 March 2024). "Samuel Ross announced as artistic director of London Design Biennale 2025". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  65. ↑ "London Design Biennale". ldb-website. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  66. ↑ Features, Francesca Perry published in (9 June 2025). "'Designers are far more than just producers of commercial goods': Samuel Ross on the London Design Biennale". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  67. ↑ Ravenscroft, Tom (30 September 2025). "Norman Foster, Es Devlin and Marc Newson among 50 creatives to design pieces for Zara's 50th anniversary collection". Dezeen. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  68. ↑ "From Labubu to David Chipperfield, Zara's collection celebrates its 50th anniversary with 50 artists". Domus. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  69. ↑ Cote, Karla (5 February 2026). "WHOOP Announces Creative Partnership With Designer Samuel Ross for Multi-Year 'Project Terrain' Collaboration". Variety. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  70. ↑ "Could Beats' big, new hire change the way Apple approaches design? (exclusive)". Fast Company. 20 June 2023. Archived from the original on 24 June 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  71. ↑ "Introducing: Hublot Launches Its Fourth Collaboration With Samuel Ross With The Big Bang Unico SR_A". Hodinkee. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  72. ↑ "Samuel Ross is part of the BoF 500". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  73. ↑ Magazine, Wallpaper* (27 September 2019). "A-Cold-Wall's Samuel Ross lifts the 2019 Hublot Design Prize". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  74. 1 2 "Art & Music SAMUEL ROSS". Hublot. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
  75. ↑ "Samuel Ross". Forbes. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  76. ↑ Ma, Fiona (10 June 2019). "A-Cold-Wall's Samuel Ross Wins the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund Award". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  77. ↑ "British Fashion Council – The Fashion Awards 2020 Honourees Announced". www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  78. ↑ "All the Winners from Britain's The Fashion Awards". Vogue. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  79. ↑ "How visit to DMU with his dad sparked meteoric career for young designer". De Montfort University. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  80. ↑ "Best Contemporary Design Object: Fire Opens Stone Bench by Samuel Ross, presented by Friedman Benda". Design Miami. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  81. ↑ "Dr. Samuel Ross MBE". www.edida-awards.com. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  82. ↑ "Samuel Ross MBE tells the story of his most treasured possession". ELLE Decoration. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
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