Nicholas Daley Brings Jamaican-Scottish Heritage to Clarks’ 200th Anniversary Collaboration
For its bicentennial, Clarks Originals has tapped London-based designer Nicholas Daley to reinterpret one of its most enduring icons: the Wallabee.
Showcasing his Central Saint Martins training and rooted in his dual Jamaican-Scottish heritage, Daley’s Wallabee design pushes the moccasin-inspired silhouette — first introduced in 1968 — into new territory. The shoe’s patchwork construction fuses blue and red tartan with smooth suede, waxed leather and hairy suede, while distinctive leather stitching details the vamp and heel. Tartan laces and a co-branded flower bob add playful customisation, with tonal lace options included for a more pared-back finish.
Daley’s partnership with Clarks underscores the brand’s longstanding ties to Jamaica, where Wallabees and Desert Boots are deeply woven into cultural life. In 2023, Clarks appointed British-Jamaican designer Martine Rose as its first guest creative director and launched a Dancehall collection celebrating the island’s embrace of the brand.
The project caps a landmark year for Daley. His work is featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibition, alongside the first friends-and-family preview of the Clarks collaboration. He also dressed musician Leon Bridges for the Met Gala and was honoured with the Pratt Fashion Visionary Award in May. Past brand partnerships include Adidas, Mulberry, Fred Perry and Carhartt Work in Progress.
For Clarks, the Daley collaboration is part of a wider effort to celebrate both heritage and innovation. Earlier this year, the company marked its second annual Wallabee Day on April 26 with a limited-edition pack spotlighting the shoe and the marsupial it’s named after. As it enters its third century, Clarks is leaning on creative partnerships with voices like Daley to reinforce its cultural currency across fashion, music and art.