When A-COLD-WALL* and Diesel Red Tag joined forces for an expansive collaborative collection, HYPEBEAST headed to the event for a word with the creatives behind the joint effort. ACW* founder Samuel Ross and Renzo Rosso, the president of Diesel’s parent company Only The Brave, broke down the Red Tag venture while wearing all A-Cold-Wall*, down to Ross’ Suicoke shoes.

“There’s a shared sensibility for treatment of and respect for fabric,” Ross explains, highlighting the ties that bind the two companies. “Renzo and I met through a mutual friend Stefano Martinetto [chief executive of Tomorrow London] and quickly found that we had much in common once I visited the Diesel archive. Being able to learn from Renzo and Diesel’s process of material study, it gives [A-COLD-WALL*] an opportunity that we previously didn’t have, as well as access to their high-end facilities. What we’re bringing in return is an architectural nuance that feels quite zeitgeist in essence.”

“It is about the clothes,” Ross continued. “Things like the custom jersey fabrics, with hand-dyed and pigment treatments all the way up to the avant-garde asymmetric gilet, with flat-lock and clear seam taping all around — it just feels very A-COLD-WALL*.”

Rosso pointed at the gilet, exclaiming, “Just to make this piece took so much time, all the handwork and multiple dyes! It was worth it, though. For Red Tag, we change the product, the measurement, everything. This series [is all about] talking with designers, real creative people who understand product – we are product people here. Our combined vision is for beautiful clothing.”

“It’s also about the attitude,” Ross interjected. “There’s a continuity of [anti-establishment] tying the two brands together, like Diesel’s ad campaigns. It’s also about culture; we have a series of films between Diesel, myself and Dexter Navy set to come out, with a soundtrack by Kelvin Krash, who has produced a plethora of hits for A$AP Rocky and others.

“Archive Diesel items have this utilitarian, rugged feel that just sits so seamlessly with [A-COLD-WALL*]‘s ethos, this brutalism and industrial mindset. You can look at the early ACW jersey pieces and see some similar dye techniques, but with Diesel we’ve been able to really flesh out that approach, expand those nuances.”

“Seeing how ACW* interpreted our archive was really really interesting because their team is so young, they brought a fresh approach to design,” Renzo explained. “Sometimes it was tough, because they knew what we wanted, and we had to deliver that exact concept,” he laughed. “The results speak for themselves.”