Clarks has tapped London-based designer Nicholas Daley to join the brand’s 200th anniversary celebrations with a collaboration releasing on Friday, which reinvents the famous Wallabee style with a transatlantic twist inspired by his heritage.
Clarks Originals x Nicholas Daley Wallabee collaboration.
Showcasing British craftsmanship and his training from Central Saint Martins, Daley looked to his Jamaican-Scottish roots to put his own spin on the Wallabee, a moccasin-inspired silhouette dating back to 1968. The Clarks Originals x Nicholas Daley Wallabee features a blue and red tartan patchwork design; the shoe blends smooth suede, waxed leather and hairy suede, and distinctive leather stitching is applied at the vamp and heel. A flower bob featuring Clarks Originals x Nicholas Daley branding accents the shoe in addition to tartan fabric laces — which can be swapped for tonal flat lace options.
Clarks is a brand that has found great popularity in Jamaica. The brand enlisted Martine Rose, who is British-Jamaican, as its first guest creative director in 2023, and that same year, Clarks released a Dancehall collection paying homage to the popularity of the brand in Jamaican dancehall culture.
Clarks Originals x Nicholas Daley Wallabee collaboration.
Daley remarked on the partnership in a statement: “Clarks is a British brand which is close to my heart — it’s such an honor to launch my collaboration with them during their 200-year anniversary. Having Jamaican descent makes it even more special, my grandad used to wear Clarks, he made shoes in Jamaica and was passionate about this footwear.”
Clarks Originals x Nicholas Daley Wallabee collaboration.
Daley’s work can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibit this year — and his contribution is accompanied by the first glimpse of his collaboration with Clarks, showcased in an exclusive friends and family colorway. In addition to having his designs exhibited, the designer dressed Leon Bridges for the Met Gala.
Daley, who has collaborated with additional brands including Adidas, Mulberry, Fred Perry and Carhartt Work in Progress, was fêted by Pratt Institute in May with the Pratt Fashion Visionary Award.
Clarks, meanwhile, celebrated its second annual Wallabee Day on April 26, releasing a limited-edition Wallabee Day Pack spotlighting the shoe style and the marsupial it’s named for. 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the footwear company.
