Samuel Ross

For the Americo-Liberian politician, see Samuel Alfred Ross. For the American racing driver, see Sam Ross.

Dr
Samuel Ross
MBE
Ross in 2026
Born (1991-05-26) May 26, 1991
Brixton, United Kingdom
Alma materDe Montfort University
Occupations
  • Artist
  • Creative director
  • Designer
  • Entrepreneur
Awards
Websitesamuel-ross.com

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.

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 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]

In 2014 Ross independently founded A-COLD-WALL*, a fashion label, self-described as a "material study for social architecture."[24][25] The company was acquired by Tomorrow Ltd. in 2024.[26][27]

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.[28] SR_A is a studio operating within the fields of artisan-driven, industrial beautification of precious garments, objects and space.[29]

In 2020 Ross established the Black British Artist Grants programme.[30] Each year the scheme offers 10 bursaries of £2,500 to selected applicants from a range of art and design disciplines.[31][32] Past recipients of the award include designer Mac Collins, designer Nifemi Marcus Bello,[33] photographer Ronan Mckenzie, and architect Dominique PetiteFrère.[34][35] The programme has independently provided 50 artists with funding, connecting the next generation of talent to global institutions. The programme advisory board is composed of the following: The Kings Foundation,[36] The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A),[37] The British Fashion Council,[38] The Royal College of Art,[39] The Design Museum [40] and The University of Westminster.[41] Ross summarises the endeavour as "holistic design for change".

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,[42][43] as well as Coarse, and exhibition of sculptural pieces that was his second solo show at the Freidman Benda gallery in New York.[44] 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).[45][46][47][48][49] Examples of Ross's work are held in the Metropolitan Museum,[50] Denver Art Museum,[51] Dallas Museum of Art,[52] Museum of Fine Arts, SCAD Museum of Art, National Museum of Scotland, as well as the Design Museum and V&A in London.[53]

In 2023, Ross was hired by Apple for the newly created role of "Principal Design Consultant for Beats".[54][55]

In 2024 he designed a smart toilet and taps for Kohler.[56][57][58][59]

Ross was the artistic director of the 2025 London Design Biennale.[60][61][62][63]

Design by Category

Technology

  • WHOOP LLC[64]
  • Apple c/o Beats by Dre LLC[65]

Horology

Fragrance

  • Acqua di Parma (LVMH)

Eyewear

  • Oakley (Luxottica SRL)

Bathroom

  • Kohler LLC

Public sculpture & furniture

  • City of London Financial District
  • Miami Design District

Footwear

  • Timberland LLC
  • Dr. Martens Ltd

Sportswear

  • Nike LLC
  • Converse LLC

Liqueur

  • The Balvenie
  • Absolut Vodka

Automobile

  • RIDECAKE — EV motorbike

Permanent, temporary architecture & installation

  • Hublot Watch Manufacture, Geneva, Switzerland — Completion: 2027–2028
  • 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)
  • Milan Design Week — TERMINAL 02 — Large-scale installation (2024)
  • Design Miami — TERMINAL 01 — Large-scale installation (2023)
  • Milan Fashion Week — SS20 — Runway (2020)
  • London Fashion Week — AW19 — Runway (2019)

Honours and awards

Ross is the recipient of the 2018 British Fashion Award for Emerging Menswear Designer,[67] the 2019 Hublot Design Prize,[68] Forbes 30 under 30 Europe,[69] the 2020 GQ USA Fashion Award[70] and the 2020 People of the Year British Fashion Award for his philanthropic endeavours.[71] 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'.[72] 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.[73]

  • 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
  • 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[74]
  • 2025 Elle Deco International Design Award (EDIDA)[75][76]
  • 2025 Elle Deco Japan – Young Design Talent Award
  • 2025 Honorary Doctor of Design (Hon DDes), De Montfort University


References

  1. ^ a b c "University of Westminster awards fashion designer Samuel Ross with Honorary Doctorate degree". University of Westminster. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N24.
  3. ^ "Dr. Samuel Ross MBE". London Design Festival. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  4. ^ a b "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 Middle East | The future of tech, business and innovation. 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". WWD. 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. ^ a b "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 SG. 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. ^ "A-Cold-Wall Spring 2023 Menswear Collection". Vogue. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  25. ^ "A-COLD-WALL". LVMH PRIZE. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  26. ^ Leitch, Luke (20 February 2024). "Tomorrow comes for Samuel Ross". Vogue Business. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
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  29. ^ "Conversations: Samuel Ross of A-Cold-Wall*". Roden Gray. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  30. ^ "SR_A SR_A BLACK BRITISH ARTIST GRANTS". community.samuel-ross.com. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  31. ^ "Applications open for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme 2022". Royal College of Art. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  32. ^ "Samuel Ross' Black British Artist Grant Programme Launches for 2022". Hypebeast. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  33. ^ Owoh, Ugonna-Ora (20 December 2022). "Nifemi Marcus-Bello is the Nigerian designer shaping Africa's designscape". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  34. ^ Hughes, Stella (17 August 2022). "HERE'S HOW TO ENTER SAMUEL ROSS' BLACK BRITISH ARTIST GRANT PROGRAMME". CULTED. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  35. ^ Moss, Jack (17 August 2022). "Samuel Ross announces fourth chapter of Black British Artist Grant Programme". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  36. ^ "The King's Foundation". www.kings-foundation.org. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  37. ^ "Fashion design: Samuel Ross / A-COLD-WALL* · V&A". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  38. ^ "British Fashion Council – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging". www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  39. ^ "Applications open for the Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme 2023". RCA Website. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
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  41. ^ "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.
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  43. ^ "Samuel Ross – master of the multidisciplinary space". Financial Times. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  44. ^ Sayej, Nadja (24 May 2023). "Samuel Ross' New Exhibition 'COARSE' Is Anything But". Observer. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
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  46. ^ Bertoli, Rosa (17 March 2023). "Chatsworth House design exhibition explores contemporary design themes in an eclectic setting". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  47. ^ 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.
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  50. ^ "Samuel Ross - "ANAESTHESIA I" desk". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  51. ^ "Denver Art Museum Acquires Work by Samuel Ross – Friedman Benda". www.friedmanbenda.com. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  52. ^ "Dallas Museum of Art Acquires Work by Samuel Ross – Friedman Benda". www.friedmanbenda.com. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
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  56. ^ Madlener, Adrian (29 February 2024). "Smart toilet by Samuel Ross for Kohler flushes out the inefficiencies of conventional designs". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
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  62. ^ "London Design Biennale". ldb-website. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
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  68. ^ Magazine, Wallpaper* (27 September 2019). "A-Cold-Wall's Samuel Ross lifts the 2019 Hublot Design Prize". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  69. ^ "Samuel Ross". Forbes. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  70. ^ Ma, Fiona (10 June 2019). "A-Cold-Wall's Samuel Ross Wins the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund Award". WWD. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  71. ^ "British Fashion Council – The Fashion Awards 2020 Honourees Announced". www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  72. ^ "All the Winners from Britain's The Fashion Awards". Vogue. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  73. ^ "How visit to DMU with his dad sparked meteoric career for young designer". De Montfort University. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  74. ^ "Best Contemporary Design Object: Fire Opens Stone Bench by Samuel Ross, presented by Friedman Benda". Design Miami. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  75. ^ "Dr. Samuel Ross MBE". www.edida-awards.com. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  76. ^ "Samuel Ross MBE tells the story of his most treasured possession". ELLE Decoration. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
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