Clarks appoints Martine Rose as first ever Guest Creative Director
British shoe company Clarks has appointed British-Jamaican designer Martine Rose as its first ever Guest Creative Director.
The London based designer was approached by Clarks last year, following which she visited it’s headquarters in Somerset and immersed herself into its nearly 200-year history, spending countless hours in its archive, and with its product teams.
In her new role, Rose will influence new capsule collections and marketing activations in 2024. She has revamped three three timeless and iconic styles from Clarks: the loafer, the Oxford shoe and the sandal with her signature style.
‘Clarks is something that’s so intrinsic to British culture and obviously Jamaican culture because it’s huge in Jamaica because of the Commonwealth. There’s a couple of British brands that are really big in Jamaica because Britishness is a sign of quality and you take it out of context it takes on a life of its own, like a myth,’ Rose told WWD.
‘Martine was top of our list of guest creative directors to partner with, due to her unconventional approach to design and development and her British-Jamaican background, both of which are core to our brand,’ Tara McRae, chief marketing and digital officer at Clarks told WWD.
A community-focused designer, Rose has collaborated with a plethora of brands such Nike, Napapijri, Tommy Hilfiger, Balenciaga and most recently, Pitti Uomo. She will debut her designs for Clarks during her show at the London Men’s Fashion Week in June. They will later go on sale in March 2024.
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