When Martine Rose was named as Clarks’ first-ever guest creative director on May 23, it was anyone’s guess as to what the resulting footwear might look like.
On one hand you have Martine Rose, a designer renowned for her rave, hip-hop, and punk-inspired collections, and on the other Clarks (or Clarks Shoes as they’re officially known) with its super-extensive array of untouched contemporary footwear. Basically, something had to give!
Well, on June 11 we were given our first glimpse of exactly what a Martine Rose-d Clarks would look like, that’s after the British-Jamaican designer presented her Spring/Summer 2024 collection at a wonderfully dingy community hall in North London.
Rose — who also previewed her latest Nike Shox mule collaboration — teased her debut Clarks silhouettes: some Oxford brogues and heeled styles in a handful of colorways.
The styles? Not surprising, especially because it was suggested that Rose would be keeping things traditional when it came to the silhouettes. The finished result, though? Surprisingly muted.
Side-by-side with Martine Rose's Nike collaboration, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Clarks were conceived by different designers.
As well as a penchant for borrowing notes from the uniforms of various subcultures, Rose is also known for her use of vibrant colors, so the fact her debut Clarks collection keeps things so subdued has come as a surprise. That being said, the collection did have time for some colorful snake skin numbers, so it wasn't all quiet.
Maybe we're witnessing an evolution in the work of Martine Rose, or perhaps just a toned down start. Dare I even mention a potential quiet luxury influence?
Still, whatever Rose’s Clarks are seemingly lacking in wild colors (not that muted is necessarily bad) she's more than made up for with her new Nike Shox.
For SS24, Rose is just giving us the best of both worlds, and I'm into it.
This article was first published on June 12 and updated on June 14.
