A-Cold-Wall wins 2019 BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund

On Monday evening at Annabel’s in London, A-Cold-Wall was named the winner of the fifth annual BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund. A jury of industry leaders including Dior’s Kim Jones, BFC CEO Caroline Rush and Kevin Jiang, president of international business at JD.com, selected the label from a pool of finalists including Cottweiler, Daniel W. Fletcher, Edward Crutchley, Liam Hodges and Wales Bonner.

Since the launch of A-Cold-Wall in 2015, founder Samuel Ross has been praised for both his intelligent approach to design and his solid business strategy. His mix of British working-class staples, architectural references and streetwear have drawn a following that spans London teens to Rihanna and Jaden Smith. His teen following has also been boosted by a two-year-old diffusion line, Polythene Optics, whose £45 T-shirts and other streetwear basics offer an entry point for younger customers. Ross has also been a prolific collaborator, teaming up with Nike, Converse and Oakley on capsule collections.

These moves caught the attention of Tomorrow London Holdings last year, which acquired a minority stake in the company in January and became its exclusive global licensee.