THERE IS an evident change in the air. Every collection and every review shows how the pandemic has effected the inspiration and vision of the future for the designer. British designer Samuel Ross gave us ten words to describe the A-Cold-Wall* collection: portal, structure, saturate, mediate, open, retreat, forum, plural, omnist and reach.
Instead of trying to tell us what the AW21 collection is about, he has given us the room to interpret the collection without any input.
 
A-Cold-Wall* AW21
Over the past couple of years, Ross and his brand ACW have taken to the global stage and made their mark as a British powerhouse. However, as Ross has grown up so has the brand. It is clear with this collection that there is definitely a sense of refinement – maybe its a consequence of the pandemic, or maybe its the direction that Ross is taking the brand.
A-Cold-Wall* AW21
The AW21 collection is made up of looks that each have powerful staple pieces that have the ability to be used and interpreted once again in the way you want to. Calling it Untitled seems like a fitting name, however, Ross doesn’t fail to create highly conceptual adaptable clothes. Clean and contemporary are two words you think of straight away, uniform-like clothing is a strong theme.
A-Cold-Wall* AW21
Knitwear was dominant seeing itself in a variety of shapes, from v-neck vests to ribbed cardigans made to wear as the outer-layer with matching loungewear style trousers and jumpers made with infrared thermal effects. Within the collection, a collaboration with Mackintosh made a statement. Mac coats and jackets in dark hues are immediately cementing themselves as a must-have product next winter.
A-Cold-Wall* AW21
The collection was definitely about going back to the basics and sometimes when designers try to strip it back it doesn’t work. However, Ross understands his brand and his consumer and has created a spectrum of individual products that can excel on their own.
by Imogen ClarkÂ