Samuel Ross drew inspiration from the combined qualities of four different materials when designing the Spring Summer 2020 collection for his brand A Cold Wall.
Called Material Study for Social Architecture, the collection was presented as a study of clay, water, lead and glass and interprets their roles in physical and social structures.
Staged inside an old printing factory in London during London Fashion Week Men's, the show was made accessible for viewing in three different ways.
Press and industry attendees lined the narrow hall of the former printing press, the general public was invited to watch from the galleries above, while viewers at home could tune in via a live stream on the A Cold Wall (ACW) website.
The decision to open up the show to everyone was a nod to the brand's shift in ethos towards "societal altruism led through social design".
The four materials were seen channelled throughout the collection in a multitude of ways, taking inspiration from their properties such as shape, colour, and malleability, with a host of looks corresponding to each material.
Guests were even lightly misted with water as models with drenched faces walked down the runway during the water segment of the show.
Nine industrial fans attached to a suspended steel rig served as the central focus for the show.
A bright white light shone through each, creating a dull flicker as the blades spun accompanied by a futuristic industrial soundtrack created by London producer Kelvin Krash.
Garments featured Ross' signature deconstructed aesthetic and were designed to map the form of the body, as opposed to past collections which took shape as protective layers.
Monochromatic looks in hues such as off-white, rust, teal and black were crafted from garments in a range of technical fabrics and finished with soft transparent plastic details and hardware in similar tones.
Exaggerated utility pockets were extruded from the outwear and accessories, further emphasising the functional aesthetic of the collection.
Other outwear, including jumpers, featured subtle vertical quilting and padded 3D details, as well as crinkled parkas with ruched elastic tracks held in place by plastic toggles.
Womenswear featured asymmetric skirts cut by dramatic swooping curves and diagonal zippers, punctuated with subtle branding by way of the ACW logo.
Some models faces were covered in clay, while others sported moulded panels of perspex or lead on their faces in reference to Ross' father who is a stained glass artist.
The show also featured pieces from the upcoming collaboration with Converse which boasts a pronounced rubber outer layer, detailed with the brand's logo.
Ross was this week announced as the winner of the prestigious British Fashion Council and GQ menswear prize, awarding him funding of £150,000 and a year-long mentorship program.
The brand recently collaborated with students from the Architectural Association to create an installation for the launch of the Nike x A Cold Wall collection.