For Spring/Summer 2025, Jamaican-British designer Martine Rose continues to redefine Clarks’ legacy, unveiling the third chapter of her “Coming Up Roses” project as the British footwear house marks its 200th anniversary. As Clarks’ inaugural guest creative director, Rose leans into a tension between heritage and disruption, stripping silhouettes back to their essentials while introducing details that signal deconstruction and craft. The result is a tightly edited trio of models — the Derby, the Heel and the Torview — each reframed through Rose’s lens of British subculture and heightened materiality.
The Derby, with its exposed seams and raw-edged outsole, underscores Rose’s ongoing interest in process as aesthetic. The Heel, built on a squared toe with layered leather stacks, projects both strength and refinement, while the Torview — a newer Clarks style — is pared down and reshaped with pinched detailing to emphasise line and proportion. Executed in classic tones of black, brown and burgundy, the collection maintains commercial accessibility, while a striking blue iteration of the Heel nods to a more directional consumer.
To anchor the release, Rose enlisted photographer Mariana Maltoni to capture a campaign that juxtaposes the structured footwear against a casual beach backdrop, populated by local personalities rather than traditional models. The narrative is one of spontaneity and authenticity, aligning with Rose’s instinct for subverting expectations while expanding Clarks’ brand codes. Following an initial launch through Martine Rose and Clarks’ own channels on March 31, the collection rolled out globally on April 1 — a strategic move positioning the collaboration at the intersection of cultural capital and mainstream distribution.
