FUTURE73 PROJECT CALLS ON SIX GLOBAL FUTURE MAKERS TO REIMAGINE THE ICONIC BOOT AND CATALYZE IT INTO THE FUTURE AS PART OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
SAMUEL ROSS BRINGS A-COLD-WALL* CRAFT, FUNCTION, AND ARTISIANSHIP TO BESPOKE TIMBERLAND® X SAMUEL ROSS FUTURE73 COLLECTION
MAY, 2023: Today, Timberland launches the second Future73 drop, in partnership with A-COLD-WALL* and its founder, Samuel Ross. The Timberland® x Samuel Ross Future73 Collection reimagines The Original Timberland® Boot, the 3-Eye Lug Handsewn Boat Shoe, and archival apparel designs—rooted in the potential for function and ergonomics.
When approaching the Future73 project, award-winning British designer Dr. Samuel Ross stayed true to the concept of his revolutionary brand A-COLD-WALL* (ACW), which is renowned for its material investigation and innovation, married with incisive explorations of Brutalist and abstract forms and precise execution.
“My earliest memories of Timberland go back some 20 years—to when I was a child traveling around the Caribbean, where my family is from, and seeing the brand’s influence on the culture. In places like Barbados and Saint Vincent there is a deep respect for heritage and ensuring the sanctity of craftsmanship. The opportunity to work on a project surrounding the anniversary of the 6-Inch boot immediately pulled a heartstring,” said Samuel Ross, Founder of A-COLD-WALL*.
Through Ross’ lens, the Timberland® Premium 6-Inch Boot is stripped back to reveal clean, minimal lines and zip closure in a ‘Natural’ colorway, laying bare Timberland’s half-century of boot making know-how. Ross has also reimagined another Timberland icon – the 3-Eye Lug Handsewn Boat Shoe – in Black ballistic nylon complete with Timberland and ACW co-branding—with both shoes utilizing Timberland® Premium leather.
Born in Brixton, London to second-generation Windrush parents of Caribbean descent, Ross was largely raised in Northampton, a town in England’s East Midlands with a rich cobbling history. A reverence for craftsmanship – as he experienced during his time prototyping at ‘The Shed’ maker space at Timberland’s New Hampshire headquarters – is therefore very much part of his DNA as a designer. Ross’ Future73 collection is rooted in the potential for function and ergonomics, where techniques of the artisan are brought to the fore.
“All the designs have a level of resistance applied to them; it is less about making fashion items than it is about making exceptionally well-made goods to be worn as functional utility tools for the body,” said Samuel Ross, Founder of *A-COLD-WALL.
For the apparel capsule, Ross immersed himself in Timberland’s archives to reappropriate never-before-seen pieces—many of which he finished with hand-dyeing techniques to establish craftsmanship as a thread of continuity between the footwear and clothes. The garment collection includes a Hunting Parka, Cargo Shorts, and Insulated Vest in ‘Forged Iron,’ Crewneck Sweatshirts emblazoned with the Timberland® tree logo in shades of ‘Avocado’ and ‘Orange.com,’ and a Knitted Sweater in ‘Lemon Pepper.'
The Timberland® x Samuel Ross Future73 Collection will be released in two drops, with the first in May the second in August 2023. The first collection ranges from $220-$900 and is available May 12 at *A-COLD-WALL and May 16 at timberland.com, Timberland® stores and select retailers worldwide.
ABOUT TIMBERLAND
Timberland is a global outdoor and work inspired brand that’s on a mission to inspire and equip consumers to step outside, work hard together and move the world forward. Based in Stratham, New Hampshire, Timberland also has international headquarters in Stabio, Switzerland and Shanghai, China. Best known for The Original Timberland® Boot–the iconic yellow work boot introduced in 1973 to take on the harsh elements of New England–Timberland today offers a full range of footwear, apparel, and accessories. The brand is widely recognized as the arbiter of boot culture.
At the heart of the Timberland® brand is a vision for a greener and more equitable future. This comes to life through a decades-long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors, and strengthen communities around the world.
Built for Adventure. Built for Impact. Built for the Bold.
To share in Timberland’s mission, visit a Timberland® store, timberland.com or follow @timberland or @timberlandpro. Timberland is a VF Corporation brand.
ABOUT SAMUEL ROSS
British designer Samuel Ross established A-COLD-WALL* in 2015 based on the concept of material study for social architecture. The brand offers commentary on equality, engagement, and the collective experience, thereby, bringing discussion on the civic duty of design into focus within present-day society. A graduate of De Montfort University, Ross has an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Westminster and is the recipient of several awards including three Fashion Awards and the 2022 London Chamber of Commerce for Outstanding Contribution to Fashion.
ABOUT FUTURE73
Since the birth of The Original Timberland® Boot in 1973, the brand has been obsessed with pioneering new ideas and forging new frontiers. From its groundbreaking waterproof leather boot to its signature four rows of stitching, Timberland built boot culture.
With a passion for design and culture at its core, Timberland invited a team of future makers from around the world to reimagine its icon and legacy. Crafted through their own lens of bold innovation and catalyzing the icon into the future. The project is called Future73.
In partnership with Timberland’s design team, these six innovators—including Samuel Ross, Nina Chanel Abney, Edison Chen, Humberto Leon, Christopher Raeburn, and Suzanne Oude Hengel—have created a window into the past, reimagined for the worlds ahead. It’s our legacy, their vision.