Editorial: A-Cold-Wall* x Diesel
A-Cold-Wall* x Diesel
While collaborations continue to flood the creative landscape of the fashion industry, it is still shockingly rare to find anything especially daring or unique. In theory, the idea of two separate entities uniting for a shared vision should promote an edgy and experimental output where each party inspires the other to transcend their traditional designs. More often, however, we are left with dull, uninspired creations where co-branding and a significant up-charge are the primary focal points.
Thankfully the upcoming collaboration between Diesel and A-Cold-Wall* provides a welcomed exception. In this, the fourth installment of Diesel’s Red Tag project – the ongoing experiment that gives young, visionary designers a platform to reimagine the iconic, high-grade, Italian denim – ACW*’s Samuel Ross steps away from working with PVC, nylon, rubber and plastic and seamlessly translates his dystopian vision of avant-garde workwear and modular utilitarian industrial garb by wrapping it in dyed and distressed denim.
The resulting collection,
which debuted earlier this year at Fashion Week NYC, features a jean jacket and matching vest heavily faded with a blotchy, bleached-out, stonewash aesthetic, then further accentuated with colorful vegetable dyes. A rugged black hoodie with a tall and narrow A-frame kangaroo pocket seems comfortably worn and worked in, while a distressed, high-contrast, denim overcoat, utilizes textural overlays that seem to mimic the yoke of traditional western wear. The collaboration is finished off with a series of utilitarian accessories like the holdster satchel and boonie hat that not only have a militant vibe, but also seem like they’ve actually been through war.
Throughout it all, Ross’ background as a graphic designer takes command with his intriguing asymmetrical constructions, geometric accents, meandering lines and angled zippers. The collection dubbed Spring/Summer 2020, will be released at select stores on December 4, including Bodega’s pop up with Diesel at Art Basel.
