Clarks is celebrating its 200-year anniversary with the release of a new documentary titled From Somerset to the World. The short film follows the journey of Clarks, from humble beginnings in Street, Somerset, to becoming one of the most recognizable footwear brands in the world.
From Somerset to the World, narrated by Yasiin Bey and directed by Set Free Richardson, tells the compelling story of how a small family business in rural England grew to become a cultural and global phenomenon.
“200 years ago, the world would not have contained the telegraph, telephone, motor vehicles and aeroplanes. The first-ever public steam railway had only just been invented,” says Tim Crumplin, archivist at the Shoemakers Museum. “Somerset in 1825 was relatively cut off from the rest of the country, which required self-sufficiency and encouraged the Clark family to do things differently.”
Clarks quickly became masters of their craft, developing many shoemaking techniques still used to this day. The documentary’s star-studded cast features icons from around the world, including Liam Gallagher, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Martine Rose, and more, each speaking about the impact that Clarks had in their cities and lives.
The documentary goes on to explain how Clarks became deeply embedded in Jamaican culture, with testimony from Jamaican reggae artist Lila Iké, music curator Becca Dudley, and former Jamaican footballer Allan Cole. The film also touches on the brand’s impact in NYC, a topic that was also covered in Clarks’ 2022 documentary Soles of the City.
The film then moves to Tokyo, where author David Marx talks about how Clarks’ Desert Boots were a staple in 1960s Japanese fashion as the “Ivy League” look was seen as the premiere style during that time. Designer NIGO was also mentioned as a reason for the popularity of Clarks footwear in Japan.
The 200 years of heritage built by Clarks is still relevant today as the shoes have become interwoven into the cultures around the globe. “Clarks is just a true heritage brand, its iconic,” says creative director Danielle Cathari.
Check out Clarks’ From Somerset to the World documentary below.
[…] the premiere of their short documentary film, From Somerset to the World, the iconic footwear brand now presents a collection of the brand’s most popular styles with […]