Clarks Originals Teams Up with Carnan for Landmark Brazilian Collaboration
The British footwear icon launches its first-ever Latin American partnership, with a design that stitches the map of Brazil onto shoes.
Summary
- The Clarks Originals x Carnan collaboration is Clarks’ first Latin American partnership, validating Brazil’s creative relevance in the international fashion scene.
- The collection reinterprets two iconic models, the Wallabee and the Desert Trek, in suede, featuring a unique design detail: hand-stitching that traces the map of Brazil onto the shoes.
- The project celebrates the fusion between global tradition and Brazilian identity, using music as the central creative thread, and the pieces serve as “symbols of identity and belonging.”
In a landmark moment for Brazilian fashion’s visibility on the global stage, British footwear brand Clarks Origianls has announced its first-ever Latin American collaboration, joining forces with Rio de Janeiro-based streetwear brand Carnan.
The partnership is designed to establish a vibrant cultural dialogue, seamlessly blending Clarks’ deep-rooted heritage with the contemporary spirit and unique cultural mix of Brazil. This collaboration is an endeavor to transform tradition into movement and design into a powerful narrative, representing a crucial step that validates the region’s creative relevance within the international fashion ecosystem.
The essence of this cultural fusion is physically materialized in the reinterpretation of two of Clarks’ most iconic models: the Wallabee and the Desert Trek. Both shoes are rendered in premium suede with natural rubber crepe soles and are distinguished by a profound design detail: hand stitching that traces the contours of the Brazilian map onto the leather patches.
Paulo Carneiro, creative director and co-founder of Carnan, emphasized this blend of place and product, stating, “The literal stitching of the map of Brazil on the shoes makes this fusion between memory, territory, and design visible.” For Carneiro, reinterpreting these global icons by incorporating cutouts inspired by Brazil’s silhouette transforms them into “symbols of identity and belonging,” bridging global tradition with local creativity.
The campaign supporting the collaboration is driven by music as its central creative pulse, acknowledging the role Clarks classics have played across global music subcultures, from hip-hop and reggae to Britpop.
Carnan’s head of branding & marketing, Breno Fernandes, explained the concept: “Just as Wallabees walked alongside hip-hop in the United States, reggae in Jamaica, and Britpop in the UK, the Clarks x Carnan campaign seeks to translate the spirit of Brazilian music, from samba to Carioca hip-hop into every detail.”
The shoes are now available from R$ 2,399 (approximately $440 USD) in limited quantities via Carnan’s website.
