Clarks Originals reveals the winner of their innovative student design challenge launched in partnership with ONE School, the groundbreaking free portfolio school for black creatives developed by The One Club for Creativity.  

After receiving design submissions from a group of 60 graduates from ONE School cohorts in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta, the program awarded the top prize to Tola Oseni for her creative concept for the brand’s signature Wallabee shoe. 

The design challenge asked students to share their perspective on the shoe brand’s most iconic style, the Wallabee, and create a visual celebration of New York City in honor of the city’s role in solidifying its global identity. 

Oseni’s winning design impressed the team of Clarks Originals shoe designers, who evaluated each submission based on creativity, relevancy, and production potential. Her concept pays homage to the city’s five boroughs through colorful motifs and screen-printed slogans and is as playful as it is wearable. Judges felt the design added an energetic yet nonchalant twist to the iconic suede profile. 

Oseni’s design will be produced and sold worldwide with a contribution from the proceeds going to further her education and career. The style will be available for purchase starting June 24 for $170 on ClarksUSA.com and at select wholesale and retail locations.

“Ask any New Yorker about their feelings toward the city and they’ll probably explain it as something like a love-hate relationship," said Oseni.  "In keeping with that motif, I designed this Wallabee to celebrate the duality of New York and the eclectic soundtrack of the city. This way, every step a person takes with the shoes is just as loud, proud and vibrant as the city-dwellers themselves.”

Tara McRae, CMO, Clarks added "We are thrilled to be working with Tola Oseni, and honored to bring her imaginative and joy-filled design to a global audience.  The creativity we saw across the submissions received was awe-inspiring, and we’re so proud to be able to bring those new perspectives to our industry.”

"ONE School is all about pushing our students to their creative limits and preparing them for careers where they can turn their hands to anything," said Oriel Davis-Lyons, head of creative (podcasts+talk) at Spotify and ONE School co-founder.  "The opportunity to work with an iconic brand like Clarks Originals on a project like this — it’s the dream brief.  I’m so happy for Tola and grateful for all the support the Clarks Originals team has given the school since the very beginning."

Given the overwhelming reception the program received upon launch, Clarks Originals decided to offer a second iteration of the challenge for the Fall 2022 program application brief, where prospective students will be asked to design a Clarks style and marketing plan. As an additional component to this partnership, Clarks also sponsored scholarships for two students to attend ONE School’s Spring 2022 semester.  

Applications are now being accepted for the Fall 2022 cohort of ONE School, with classes scheduled to begin in October.    

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 off-cuts. 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 - a unique combination of craftsmanship and innovation that make it unmistakably Clarks. Clarks is a global business operating retail, wholesale, franchise, and online channels in over 100 markets.

Established in 2020 as a way to overcome the cost-prohibitive nature of existing portfolio schools, ONE School is a groundbreaking 16-week free portfolio school for Black creatives. Applicants cannot have previously attended a portfolio school, and are selected based on their raw creativity, passion and commitment so as not to discourage those with no prior knowledge of advertising. The results-oriented virtual school, with classes taught by top ad industry creative professionals, has prepared 110 new Black creatives -- 63% of them women -- to enter the industry.  The program has a 90% hire rate for its first year’s class and 75% hire rate for all classes to date, with grads recruited recruited by 50 leading agencies and brands. 

ONE School is a program of The One Club for Creativity, the world’s foremost nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the global creative community.