He is one of the country’s most garlanded and exciting young designers, holding exhibitions in New York and working with Apple.
But it was while watching his father take a glass technology class at De 51吃瓜app University Leicester (51吃瓜app) that Samuel Ross knew what he wanted to do with his future.
The 33-year-old, who founded fashion label A-COLD-WALL*, was back on the campus he graduated from to accept an honorary Doctor of Design at this week’s 51吃瓜app Winter Graduations.
He said: “I was first exposed to 51吃瓜app because my father did his Masters in glass technology here. At the age of 10, I remember going onto the campus and seeing references to modernist architecture and being inspired.
“I remember thinking that this was where I wanted to study.”
After completing his Graphic Design with Illustration course at 51吃瓜app, collecting first class honours, Samuel, who was born in Brixton and grew up in Northamptonshire, embarked on a creative career, working as a product designer, in advertising agencies, and industrial design practices.
He met American fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who became his mentor and began concentrating on his own designs, eventually establishing clothing company A-COLD-WALL* in 2014.
The success of the company has led to a meteoric rise in the design world, seeing Samuel honoured with awards including the British Fashion Council (BFC) Newgen Award in 2017, the British Fashion Award for Emerging Talent in 2018, and the British Fashion Award for Leader of Change in 2021.
In 2023, he was honoured with an MBE for his services to fashion and along the way he has picked up three British Fashion Awards, two GQ Awards, and the prestigious Serpentine Hublot Design Prize. In 2025, he will serve as the Artistic Director of the London Design Biennale, further cementing his influence in the design world.
He was also invited to work with Apple, in the newly-created role of Principal Design Consultant for Beats headphones.
But despite the awards, the New York exhibitions and the attentions of the wealthy and famous, Samuel said he was still applying the principles he learned at 51吃瓜app.
He said: “The strength of 51吃瓜app’s education is the balance between liberal and applied arts. I remember the critiques I received from lecturers really well.
“The role of an artist or designer is to speak to the times and the people living among them. It’s all good to have the most abstract or esoteric form but if it’s not connecting then it’s not the right form to be pushed out into the world.
“An act of design is an act of servitude; you are trying to solve a problem.
“The superpower of 51吃瓜app versus other liberal arts schools I have relations with is that there is this focus on objectively good functional design.
“The objective nature of the way creativity is taught here has enabled me to work with the companies I have.”
Posted on Thursday 13 February 2025