HUBLOT TIME FRAMED BY SAMUEL ROSS
His career is intriguing and fascinating; none of his collaborations have happened by chance. His style is brutalist, yet textured and balanced. His scope of expression knows no bounds.
At 29 years old, Samuel Ross has a talent for capturing the zeitgeist. Winner of the 2019 Hublot Design Prize, the uncategorisable artist has joined the Hublot family. He has taken materials and encapsulated 40 years of Hublot history in one minimalist sculpture. A simple and striking shape, formed of the Hublot essentials.
“Samuel Ross is one of those people who immediately makes an impact. He crossed paths with Hublot in 2019 when he was awarded the Hublot Design Prize. His creative approach is both aesthetic and functional, his design purposeful. He creates simple and striking objects. His career has been unique, his rise swift; his creations are not dependent on any particular field or media, with his creativity crossing all disciplines. We share the same attraction to materials, technique and innovation. As is the case for all of the brand's friends and ambassadors, Samuel helps us define Hublot from a different angle. While the expression changes, the spirit behind it does not.”
Samuel Ross has gained a reputation as a Wunderkind. A British Fashion and industrial designer, he was discovered at the age of 21 by Virgil Abloh who invited him to join Off White and DONDA. At the age of 25 he launched his menswear line, A-COLD-WALL* which has since received numerous awards and nominations[1] and launched several high profile collaborations[2]. Ross soon gained popularity in the world of fashion and the arts, having a multidisciplinary approach which he expresses by designing objects, furniture and installations.
He is now part of the Hublot family, joining as our new ambassador of the brand, and has produced his first creation for Hublot. A sculpture that sparked a creative collaboration. Its basic principles have also inspired an exhibition concept designed by Ross to mark Hublot's 40th anniversary, including furniture & flagship store interiors.
Combining igneous rock (granite) as a reference to the origins of Fusion, with metal crafted by man (steel), Samuel's sculpture explores and juxtaposes these materials in order to create a balance between the organic – that which can only be created over time – and the industrial, which is forged through innovation.
It combines materials that have a history with those that will make history. To depict this distortion of time, where the past and the present meet, Samuel chose to create an inclined polygon that makes it seem as if our view of the object is deformed. In a play on transparency, there are holes in the aluminium structure and the finishes applied combine the traditional expertise of a mirror polish with technological mastery expressed by computer numerical control (CNC) milling. Designed to be handled, the sculpture has two mobile aluminium rods that can be playfully moved into one of the CNC indents created in the metal.
[1] (Forbes 30 under 30 Europe – 2019, BFC GQ Fashion Fund Award – 2019, British Emerging Talent Menswear –
2018, LVMH Award Finalist – 2018, ANDAM Award Finalist – 2018, British Fashion Award Nominee for Emerging Talent Menswear – 2017)
[2] (Apple,Dr Martens, Virgil Abloh, Takashi Murakami, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Daniel Arshan, FUTURA, Architectural Association School of Architecture, Nike, Converse, Diesel, Oakley).
“Hublot symbolises daring innovation, the fusion of time between tradition and innovation, and the endless capacity to invent and reinvent materials. Our collaboration reflects how we create and make decisions: quickly, efficiently and precisely. My sculpture tells the story of Hublot using simple, clean lines, with a monochrome palette of hues, a touch of vivid colour, and a play on oversized dimensions.”
