Martine Rose and Clarks bring the bedroom to the shop floor for the launch of their debut collection Coming Up Roses. Inspired by archive 1980s Clarks ads likening the supreme comfort of Clarks shoes to being in bed, The Corner Shop at Selfridges recreates bedroom interiors from the Coming Up Roses campaign with an installation featuring the collaboration’s four shoe silhouettes: The Oxford, The Loafer, The Sandal and the Torhill Hi.
Conceived with familiarity and comfort in mind, Martine Rose’s first collection as guest creative director for Clarks is situated in archetypal bedrooms designed by Polly Philp for The Corner Shop. One set recalls a teenage bedroom, plastered with archival Martine Rose and Clarks graphics, another may remind you of the kitsch florals of a grandmother’s boudoir or the motel room of a touring musician.
The installation brings private spaces into the public arena, everyone is invited to come and sit on the beds or relive the nostalgic childhood ritual of the Clarks foot measuring service – one of Martine’s own happy memories! The pop-up reaches from shop to street with two bedroom window installations complete with retro curtains, each vignette is brought alive by the passers by and visitors who become part of this living campaign.
The Martine Rose x Clarks pop-up at The Corner Shop at Selfridges will feature a limited edition T-shirt, shoe care set and posters. It is open to the public from Monday 12th February 2024.
Martine Rose: ‘A way of pulling someone in is to work with and build on something familiar – with the ghost of the thing that’s in your head. Clarks is such a democratic brand; I love that it’s for everyone and it’s so expansive. It would be out of step to create something removed from people’s everyday experience. We looked at the idea of the bedroom and added personal elements to the shop setting – which can often be quite sterile. We’ve brought familiar touches to the space, so people feel comfortable and hopefully feel the resonance of an emotional memory too. The playfulness and humour of the project – we can all be in on it. There was something so happy about going to Clarks as a kid, the special day with mum or dad having your feet measured for new shoes. We wanted to pay tribute to that shared, collective experience so many of us in the UK have.’
Tara McRae, Chief Marketing & Digital Officer, Clarks: ‘We are thrilled to exclusively launch Martine Rose’s first collection as Clarks Guest Creative Director – ‘Coming Up Roses’, in the iconic Selfridges Corner Shop. Selfridges, create shopping experiences for the best of the best in the fashion and lifestyle industry, making them the perfect partner for us to collaborate with on this launch. The ‘Coming Up Roses’ Selfridges Corner Shop space is immersive, playful, and definitely unexpected. The installation not only embodies our shoe design principles, but also our renowned status for comfort. Consumers will be immersed fully into the campaign which is inspired by our Clarks archive 1980s ads. We can’t wait to share the experience with consumers and welcome them into this incredible space.’
Notes to Editor
About Martine Rose
Martine Rose established her eponymous label in London in 2007. It has since evolved from a tightly edited shirting collection to an internationally renowned and critically acclaimed brand. Her innate authenticity and commitment to modernity have helped to create collections that retain their underground cult credentials while achieving global success. In addition Martine has become one of the most in demand consultants and collaborators in fashion – and for many years now has consistently influenced the direction of contemporary menswear.
Martine Rose is inspired by her Jamaican-British heritage and her deep interest and personal involvement in the music and high / low melting-pot cultures of London. Family and community are at the heart of the company – famously her shows have been held in spaces such as the covered markets of Tottenham, a neighbourhood cul-de-sac in Camden and Torriano primary.
About Clarks
Clarks, based in Somerset, England, has been at the forefront of innovative shoemaking since its foundation in 1825, when brothers James and Cyrus Clark made a slipper from sheepskin cut-offs. At the time it was ground- breaking: a combination of invention and craftsmanship that’s remained at the heart of what the brand does now. In the Clarks archive of more than 22,000 pairs are shoes that have sparked revolutions and defined generations. From the original Clarks Desert Boot, first designed by Nathan Clark and launched in 1950, to the iconic Wallabee, each design has an instantly recognisable signature that makes it unmistakably Clarks.
About Selfridges
Founded in 1909, luxury department store Selfridges is a landmark destination that’s always providing new ways to surprise and amaze its customers in line with its vision to reinvent retail and purpose of imagining and creating a more sustainable future. From in-house cinema, restaurants, bars and skate bowl, to an extraordinary cultural program and ever-evolving roster of collaborators, Selfridges is a creative playground to discover and share new ideas. With 4 stores across 3 major UK cities: London Oxford Street, Manchester Exchange Square, Manchester Trafford, and Birmingham, alongside its digital offer at Selfridges.com, Selfridges is the only department store to be named Best Department Store in the World four times, and was also named ‘Best Retailer’ at the Positive Luxury Awards in 2020.