Among all the artistic chaos that took place within the Miami city limits this past weekend, one of, if not the most, imaginative exhibition belonged to Clarks––a dark horse in some regards amidst the multitude of “big names” who usually arrive for the annual design festival in South Beach.
Tucked away on one of the side streets in Wynwood, the heritage footwear brand hosted a specialized workshop focused on subverting the standard expectations put upon your typical Art Basel fête. Removing the words “do,” “not,” and “touch” from its vocabulary, Clarks flung open its doors for an afternoon of creative play and personalized craftsmanship.
With manufacturing partner Vibram, Clarks enlisted interdisciplinary designers Shaun Crawford, Vandy The Pink, and Jacopo De Carli for “Clarks Originals Creates,” an afternoon of unbridled creation. Within the pop-up-turned-footwear operating room, a beautiful scene of authentic imagination unfolded, a cluttered scene of the best kind.
Utilizing a myriad of fabrics, patches, paints, and various other materials hand-selected by the trio of creatives, all were encouraged to step into the world of shoe design, leaving their imprint on a classic brand with almost 200 years of history.
Despite being one of the most fabled and recognizable brands across footwear, Clarks has never been obsessed with the rigidity of tradition; instead, choosing to use its heralded and recognizable design language as a channel for others to actualize their creative concepts. From its devoted partnership with Supreme to tapping Martine Rose as its first guest creative director, Clarks serves as the ultimate blank canvas designed to reflect the ideas of those who see more than just another shoe silhouette.
Employing “Clarks Creates” as an incubator for future growth and collaboration, Tara McRae, Clarks' Chief Marketing Officer, notes, “Throughout our history, we have been adopted by some of the most creative and exciting groups and individuals around the world. Clarks has always been a brand that values innovation and evolution. This heritage has led us to work with new brands and individuals who share a love for our story and what it stands for.”
Swapping out the aged prosecco and curated finger foods for an eponymous lager and Sweet Chick sandwiches, Clarks developed a fully thought-out experience that peels back the veil, giving admirers a chance to glue, cut, sew, and stitch their way into being a part of a legacy amassed over centuries.
As lifelong fans of the brand, both Crawford and Vandy maintain deep ties to Clarks, revering the brand as a staple within footwear lore. Living out their own “Old Woman in The Shoe” fantasy––albeit more figuratively than literally––we sat in on an exclusive conversation between the two contemporaries as they admired the innovative project that was helped brought to life.
Shaun Crawford: What’s up, man? It’s nice to finally connect with you!
Vandy The Pink: I feel the same way. You’re an OG. I’ve been a fan of your work for a long time, so being able to sit down and talk with you is a dream.
SC: Ah, I really appreciate that. Your stuff is crazy, too. Those skeleton Clarks’ designs are insane; I need a pair of those.
VTP: Oh, bro, you got it. Say no more.
SC: So, talk me through how you got to this point. What’s your relationship with the Clarks brand?
VTP: I grew up in Korea, and the brand was still huge in Asia around the time I was young––in Japan and Korea especially. I used to see all the older kids wearing them at school, my parents wearing them, so, automatically, I’m thinking, “Oh, those are cool; I want a pair of my own.”
Clarks was already a part of my life, so, for me to be working with the brand right now means a lot. I'm getting involved with the whole team and getting a behind-the-scenes look at how things operate.
SC: How long have you been building your brand, again?
VTP: Like four going on five, now.
SC: That’s wild to think about! I’m 45 years old, and my first introduction to Clarks was from Wu-Tang Clan. I was a teenager when those albums came out, and I always thought, "What are they talking about? What are these Wallabee shoes?" Then, when (Ghostface Killah’s) Ironman album came out, and they had the shoes all on the cover, my homies and I decided we needed some for ourselves.
It’s interesting, too, because I have a West Indian background, and all West Indian people love Clarks and wear them religiously. It’s really unbelievable to think about how many different groups the brand touches.
VTP: So, from your perspective, what makes the brand so timeless? Like, we’re from different worlds, and we’re still talking about the same shoe.
SC: Honestly, it just has a clean look that you can wear with pretty much anything. You can wear them going to court, you can wear them going to work, you can wear them to hang out. From a design standpoint, there are some things that are just perfect.
VTP: I totally agree, but in another way, I think Clarks offers a really big canvas. You can basically do whatever you want; you can put a stitch on it, you can put a design on it, you can play with the fabric—so many different options.
SC: No, you’re right on that; I mean, look at this workshop event. Initially, I thought it would be a little more formal and standard. But then, when I got here, I saw that they were allowing people to do their own thing––there are so many different shoes walking around here right now.
VTP: It's all random. They're all mixed up.
SC: Exactly!
VTP: I envisioned it would be just like a stage or something. Some people saying, “You get to do this, you get to do that,” but I see now that there are options. It’s total creative freedom.
SC: When I saw somebody make the whole shoe fur and then use some of my patches, I was blown away! I got a picture of it, too.
VTP: Oh, yeah! I think I saw those. I also saw a girl who mixed my design and yours by putting bones with the fur pieces. I wouldn’t have even thought of that.
SC: So, do you feel inspired by this whole thing? I’ve definitely taken something away from this.
VTP: The whole experience working with Clarks has been a different creative exercise. They just let me go and work on my ideas.
SC: I get you completely. This was a lot of fun, and hopefully, my relationship with Clarks can build into something else from here.
VTP: I’ll be waiting for it.
SC: [Laughing] I appreciate that, man.
