Samuel Ross

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
EducationDe 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. 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. Since founding these organisations, Ross has collaborated with companies such as Apple, Kohler, LVMH, Nike, and William Grant & Sons. Ross's output is often characterised as "social architecture for the body", captured through abstraction, brutalism, and deconstruction.[buzzword][citation needed]

Early life and education

Ross was born in the Brixton neighbourhood of London, United Kingdom to first generation parents of Caribbean descent. Shortly after his birth, he moved to Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. 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.

Career

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

He went on to intern for, and was subsequently hired by, Virgil Abloh, who became Ross's mentor. In 2012, Ross became Abloh's first design assistant. During his time working for Abloh, Ross also designed for Kanye West's creative content company Donda and related companies. 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"), as well as that of English graphic artist Peter Saville—both of whom have also become friends and admirers of Ross's work.

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

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

In 2020, Ross established the Black British Artists Grants Programme [d]. Each year the scheme offers 10 bursaries of £2,500 to selected applicants from a range of art and design disciplines. Past recipients of the award include designer Mac Collins, designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello [d], photographer Ronan Mckenzie, and architect Dominique Petit-Frère [d]. 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, The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), The British Fashion Council, The Royal College of Art, The Design Museum and The University of Westminster. 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, as well as Coarse, and exhibition of sculptural pieces that was his second solo show at the Freidman Benda [d] gallery in New York. 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). Examples of Ross's work are held in the Metropolitan Museum, Denver Art Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, SCAD Museum of Art, National Museum of Scotland, as well as the Design Museum and V&A in London.

Also in 2023, Ross was hired by Apple for the newly created role of "Principal Design Consultant for Beats".

The next year, he designed a smart toilet and taps for Kohler.

Ross was the artistic director of the 2025 London Design Biennale. 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.

The Nue Black Aesthetic, a 2026 exhibition at London's Design Museum curated by Charlene Prempeh [d] includes pieces by Ross alongside works by the British and African creatives Taiba Akhuetie, Ini Archibong, Phoebe Collings-James [d], Nifemi Marcus-Bello, and Bianca Saunders.

Design by Category

Technology

  • WHOOP LLC
  • Apple c/o Beats by Dre LLC

Horology

  • Hublot (LVMH)

Fragrance

  • Acqua di Parma (LVMH)

Eyewear

  • Oakley (Luxottica SRL)

Bathroom

  • Kohler LLC

Footwear

  • Timberland LLC
  • Dr. Martens Ltd

Sportswear

  • Nike LLC
  • Converse LLC

Liqueur and spirits

  • The Balvenie
  • Absolut Vodka

Automotive and transport

  • RIDECAKE — EV motorbike

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

  • 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

Ross is the recipient of the 2018 British Fashion Award for Emerging Menswear Designer, the 2019 Hublot Design Prize, Forbes 30 under 30 Europe, the 2020 GQ USA Fashion Award and the 2020 People of the Year British Fashion Award for his philanthropic endeavours. He received an honorary doctorate from The University of Westminster in 2021. Ross is a recipient of a 2021 British Fashion Award, within the category 'Leaders of Change'. Ross was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to fashion. In 2025, Ross was awarded an honorary doctorate by De Montfort University.

References

  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. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. 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'". StirPad. 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. ↑ "What is Black design now?". Financial Times. 6 October 2026. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  70. ↑ Cote, Karla (5 February 2026). "WHOOP Announces Creative Partnership With Designer Samuel Ross for Multi-Year 'Project Terrain' Collaboration". Variety. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  71. ↑ "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.
  72. ↑ "Introducing: Hublot Launches Its Fourth Collaboration With Samuel Ross With The Big Bang Unico SR_A". Hodinkee. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  73. ↑ "Samuel Ross is part of the BoF 500". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  74. ↑ Magazine, Wallpaper* (27 September 2019). "A-Cold-Wall's Samuel Ross lifts the 2019 Hublot Design Prize". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  75. 1 2 "Art & Music SAMUEL ROSS". Hublot. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
  76. ↑ "Samuel Ross". Forbes. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  77. ↑ 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.
  78. ↑ "British Fashion Council – The Fashion Awards 2020 Honourees Announced". British Fashion Council. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  79. ↑ "All the Winners from Britain's The Fashion Awards". Vogue. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  80. ↑ "How visit to DMU with his dad sparked meteoric career for young designer". De Montfort University. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  81. ↑ "Best Contemporary Design Object: Fire Opens Stone Bench by Samuel Ross, presented by Friedman Benda". Design Miami. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  82. ↑ "Dr. Samuel Ross MBE". www.edida-awards.com. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  83. ↑ "Samuel Ross MBE tells the story of his most treasured possession". ELLE Decoration. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.