Heritage brands Clarks Originals and Levi’s Vintage Clothing’s latest collaboration is bound to stir up feelings of nostalgia in late-‘80s music lovers.
On Friday, the pair will release a limited-edition collection inspired by the British music scene invigorating Manchester more than 30 years ago. The capsule features three Clarks silhouettes that complement the oversized Levi’s flares and baggy parkas that were popular during the era, the duo said.
The Levi’s Vintage Clothing x Clarks Originals footwear collection features the Wallabee in pink suede with the mauve nubuck trim and laces, the desert boot, with a two-piece suede upper in light blue with lavender laces, and the Weaver, a low-top moccasin-style lace-up with a rubber sole in sandy yellow with nubuck detailing. Each style features the brand’s textured rubber crepe sole.
The line was crafted to accompany Levi’s Vintage Clothing’s “Loose Fix” collection, which was released in April as a testament to the birth of the rave scene at Manchester bars and music venues. The line features oversized T-shirts, jackets and jeans that canonize a cultural movement, pulling influence from hippie styling and ’70s era Levi’s flares along with the burgeoning underground indie music scene. The Levi’s vintage vertical, helmed by head designer Paul O’Neill, reproduces the fits, fabric and styling of iconic Levi’s pieces from decades past.
“When we were putting together the ‘Loose Fix’ collection, we thought it would be amazing to collaborate with Clarks to coincide with it,” said O’Neill. “They were really big in Manchester in the ’80s and throughout the U.K.,” he added, noting that he has worn the brand’s shoes himself for the past 30 years.
O’Neill said that Clarks appealed to him as a partner for the project because of the lasting impact of the brand’s designs. “It’s just a really old school approach to making shoes that are timeless, shoes people will always love,” he added, noting that the “traditional” styles are now infused with a “contemporary approach to color.”
The styles, priced at $260, will be available on Levi.com as well as the company’s app on Friday.