Positivity is on the horizon for A-Cold-Wall’s Samuel Ross, who injected his spring collection with blocks of crayon colors that pushed the designer’s penchant for protective gear and concealment into new territory: filled with optimism rather than dystopian.
“It’s a new perspective. To be honest, spending a lot more time with my daughter and around, like, the innocence, playfulness and youth brought these interesting colors in,” he said during a preview over Zoom.
Never mind the balaclava headgear, performance leggings and padded harnesses — a brand signature and a commercially successful item — that appeared throughout the collection. Ross tempered the aesthetic that has gained him the reputation as a highly conceptual designer, offering a lineup that looked more accessible, filled with relaxed silhouettes, cocooning fabrics and accented with flashes of colors such as citrine yellow, lime green, orange and blue.
Veering away from the dystopian-themed utilitarian references of previous efforts, Ross embraced the technicality and functionality of sportswear. Cue cozy rib knit tracksuits and nylon pants paired with hooded blazers or leggings layered under short shorts and lightweight raincoats, as well as windbreakers with side panels.
His obsession for industrial design and the process that goes into clothmaking was still present, as Ross splashed color-blocked ponchos and duster coats with the product’s codes and experimented with a wide range of new materials including eco-leather and denim, the former crafted into edgy anoraks and shorts combos with a crackled texture.
