Only a month after the discreet launch of his new high-end menswear line SR_A, designer Samuel Ross has formed a multiyear partnership with Zara.
On Monday, the Virgil Abloh protégé announced the partnership in an Instagram post that teased the “raw functional garments” that will soon be available to consumers in early 2025.
“Samuel Ross MBE and ZARA present a unified vision,” the caption read. “One formed of robust garments built for leisure, respite and exploration.”
“Under his unfiltered artistic direction, SAMUEL ROSS_ACCESS, engineered by ZARA, will deliver physical installations and garment presentations across global cities,” the brand added.
Ross tells Business of Fashion that the partnership includes “fashion installations and artistic performances across key cultural cities.“
“We’re not talking about a short-term cycle where we’re trying to push out a lot of product very quickly. This is a mature offering, which will build gradually each year and is reflective of the intelligence of our audience.”
The collaboration comes after Samuel Ross took a monthslong hiatus from fashion following his departure from his British luxury streetwear brand A-Cold-Wall in February. After selling his stake to longtime partner Tomorrow Ltd., Ross shifted his focus to artistic projects and consulting for Apple’s Beats headphones brand.
By September, the British menswear mogul returned with SR_A, a new high-end line that quietly debuted using a made-to-order model. Just one month later, Ross unveiled a multiyear partnership with Zara, following in the footsteps of Stefano Pilati, who also collaborated with the Spanish fast-fashion brand last month.
Ross’ deal will expand access to his in-demand designs with bi-annual menswear collections under the label “SR_A Engineered by Zara.”
The collection will showcase “functional, refined garments” that embody the “maturity” of the menswear market since Ross debuted A-Cold-Wall in 2015.
“I think we’ve seen a maturity from the audience from the time when there was this high focus on luxury streetwear five or so years ago,” said Ross.