“This season more than ever before, it felt important that A-COLD-WALL* be hyper-responsive to current circumstances,” says founder and creative director Samuel Ross. “This collection is the result of a sincere and honest dialogue about these changed priorities – it’s democratic, it’s adaptive. It’s what people want to live in now.”

If there’s a common thread to emerge from this season it must surely be one of adaption. As the fashion industry scrambles to adjust to a new world, few designers can consider themselves better placed than Samuel Ross, whose ethos has revolved around practical function from the beginning. This idea takes centre-stage once again for his SS21 collection, where Ross presented a short three-part film (with music from Afrodeutsche) to reflect the stages of our current reality.

First, enveloped by darkness, comes isolation. Bodies dressed in soft technical vests and crisp tailoring blur in amongst each other. In the second stage comes light and tonal shifts in the clothes. Gone are shades of slate of taupe, replaced with buttercup yellow oversize tees that come with matching bucket hats and a selection of technical outerwear pieces. For the final act we enter a state of ethereal reverie, this is the future we are told. Reverting to a more subdued palette, Ross presents his vision of future workwear. Silhouettes are softened through rouched bomber jackets and gilets, while the office suit is updated to prioritise comfort over conformity.