Samuel Ross

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]

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.^{[citation needed]} 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".^{[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,^[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

• Hublot (LVMH)^[66]

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)

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