Jorja Smith is cool. In fact, the British signer is extremely cool, and the fact she now has her own Clarks Originals collaboration is virtually proof of the matter.
The 26-year-old artist and the British footwear label have teamed up for the first time this season for a mule iteration on Clarks' lesser-known Desert Nomad shoe.
Boasting a Sciarada EVOLO suede upper, the collab has been crafted with a more sustainable footprint compared to the traditional suede we’ve come to expect from a classic Clarks shoe, which is also complemented by recycled laces for added green credentials.
Smith, who first rose into the limelight with her debut studio album Lost and Found in 2018, opted to revamp the Desert Nomad over Clarks’ more renowned silhouettes (like the Wallabee and Desert Trek) as it aligned more with her personal style.
“Overall my style is simple and laid-back, and the shoes reflect that. They’re comfortable and casual but with a lot of individuality,” she said.
“Clarks means so much to so many different groups of people – I’m excited to have the opportunity to add to that legacy. I wanted to work on a profile that’s different but, most importantly, wearable.”
For Clarks, its Jorja Smith release — which drops online October 21 — is the latest in a long and ever-growing list of collaborators.
In the last 12 months alone the Somerset-based label has teamed up Aries, adidas Originals, and sacai, as well as fellow serial collaborator Salehe Bembury.
Despite the myriad of endeavours Clarks continues to take on, its release alongside Jorja Smith is the first time the Desert Nomad silhouette has been flipped into a slip-on mule.
And with winter fast approaching and everyone clambering around for a cozy-but-trendy house shoe option to keep the cockles toasty, Smith’s Clarks couldn’t have arrived at a more convenient time.
