A-COLD-WALL* Enlists Pa Salieu as the Face of FW22 – HYPEBEAST
Mon 1 Aug
Earlier in the year, Samuel Ross revealed A-COLD-WALL*‘s Fall/Winter 2022 collection. It explores different avenues of contemporary design with bulky silhouettes, ample layering, neck accessories, and translucent hoods that disrupted fashion’s conventional blueprints.
Now, A-COLD-WALL* has presented the collection in its entirety, enlisting Coventry-raised rapper Pa Salieu — who worked with Palace for its collaborative capsule with EVISU — as the front-lining face of the campaign visuals. For those unaware of Pa Salieu, the Gambian-born musician found his recent success with records that dip in and out of U.K. drill, afro-beats, and grime. Salieu’s breakout record, “Frontline,” brought a refreshing sound to the British streets and he quickly shrugged off his J Hus comparisons with his debut project Send Them To Coventry, which later secured Pa Salieu the top spot for the BBC’s Sound of 2021.
As Samuel Ross’ A-COLD-WALL* continues to champion Black British design, the link-up with Pa Salieu makes perfect sense. Salieu is also joined by regular ACW collaborator and stylist Robbie Spencer and futuristic photographer Ken-Tonio Yamamoto. The pair have brought a combination of tonality and texture throughout the campaign by experimenting with lighting, shadows and distortion while still capturing Salieu’s British-Gambian roots.