1000% Hypergraphic With
A-COLD-WALL*
Founder and Designer Samuel Ross Picks His Favorite Looks From The FW21 Collection,
as Illustrated by Artist Gyimah Gariba
- Illustrations: Gyimah Gariba
Ambience is defined as the character and atmosphere of a place, but a garment can have ambience, too. Case in point: A-COLD-WALL* FW21. The collection showcased full looks of cream and white on relaxed pleats and warm winter jackets, exuding optimism. Mustard knits and gunmetal grey sneakers conjured comfort and ease. Hand-painted and abstract digitized patterns in red, orange, and blue attract the eye. These clothes are not passive, they’re acutely aware of their environment. Through A-COLD-WALL*, founder and designer Samuel Ross invites you to step into a portal and reach for something familiar, yet new. To open yourself up to change. To find a forum for personal evolution. A grand proposal, yet few designers are as calm and confident as Ross. Below he chooses five noteworthy aspects of the FW21 collection, shedding some light on the exceptional in-house research and development that the brand is known for. Settle in, take notes.
Featured In This Image: A-COLD-WALL* hoodie. Featured In Top Image: A-COLD-WALL* hoodie, A-COLD-WALL* henley, A-COLD-WALL* jacket, A-COLD-WALL* t-shirt and A-COLD-WALL* sweater.
“Previous seasons have looked towards plaster coatings, lime-washes, and watercolor on fine canvases. This particular design was painted by hand before being digitised, looking towards breeze blocks and roughcast for inspiration.”
Featured In This Image: A-COLD-WALL* t-shirt.
“HYPERGRAPHIC is a term I use within our design studio. Density. Saturation. Velocity. Imploding signatures through experimentation—designing off instinct and emotion”
Featured In This Image: A-COLD-WALL* jacket and A-COLD-WALL* trousers.
“Breathability and durability are equally important for us. The material base—how such materials are treated with coatings & membranes. I love ventilation through laser cut eyelets and clean cut shapes. Sensitive details through industrial production techniques. Often where garments appear minimal, we've spent a serious amount of time on fabric development and color. Adjusting fabric compositions to carry color definition throughout the dye process is incredibly fulfilling.”
Featured In This Image: A-COLD-WALL* sweater and A-COLD-WALL* trousers.
“The opaqueness and haze of still movement informed this particular story. The lucidity within watercolor painting. In part a reflection of the lockdown paradox—a transient still from a sunset or a looming storm. The beauty in this particular knit is the viewer's ability to pull their own reference.”
Featured In This Image: A-COLD-WALL* henley and A-COLD-WALL* lounge pants.
“The optimism of newness, a purge, clean slate. The optics lean into the sacrilege of the robe, of sanctity, of stoicism, of peace. There is a virtue with the tone, silhouette and material, it is both comfort and civility. The informal elegance meshes well with the daily routine of an industry creative. I've been wearing cream hues and white consistently for the past six years, really since A-COLD-WALL*s inception. Referencing industrial, partially invisible cream and mid-grey tones that populate random surfaces across all industrialised landscapes. It is our interpretation of the modern robe, partially informal work attire, though incredibly eclectic. Color, silhouette, and material contribute equally to achieving such a position.”
- Illustrations: Gyimah Gariba
- Date: October 20th, 2021
