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GALAHAD CLARK ’99
35 years in China. Farquhar recalls that
Clark was interested in meditative disciplines and classical literature, as well as tai
chi and qigong, and noted, “He remains
very interested in the way Chinese tradition has thought about the everyday experience of being a human being.”
‘I was back
in England
and needed
something to do.
One vocational experience took Clark
to a Chinese shoe factory, where he studied technical development for six months
and deepened his study of Confucianism.
I loved the Terra
Plana shoe,
“The head of the factory was a diehard
who ran the factory according to his
Confucian values,” he said. “My family is a
Quaker family, and I’m wildly proud of
my forefathers: They founded an inspirational company with beautiful values and
ran the company according to these values
— a low pay differential between the
highest and lowest positions, treating all
workers like family; reinvesting profits in
the company; providing a service to the
community. The values of Confucianism
are pretty close to these.”
and I was keen
to be close to my
father at that
time — he was
smashed so far
sideways by my
mother’s death,
so there was
a real yearning
to cling together
After college Clark was selected to join
the prestigious Swires Management
Trainee Program in China, and he later
returned to Britain when his mother
became ill. “I was back in England and
needed something to do. I loved the Terra
Plana shoe, and I was keen to be close to
my father at that time — he was smashed
so far sideways by my mother’s death, so
there was a real yearning to cling together
as a family. He wanted to get rid of Terra
Plana, and the rest is history.”
COURTESY OF CLARKS
as a family.’
Galahad Clark
Clark, fluent in Mandarin, still loves
being in China and travels to the southern
provinces — Guangzhou is considered
the shoemaking capital of the world —
at least six times a year.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TERRA PLANA
As to whether she’s surprised Clark’s
path has veered back to footwear, Farquhar said, “I think he was surprised. It
became necessary for him to be involved
in the company; he had no choice. But he
rose to the occasion. He’s made it a creative way of life and a socially responsible
one as well.”
Clockwise from top: Clarks headquarters in Street, Somerset,
where in 1828 Quaker brothers
Cyrus and James Clark founded
the Clarks business as a tannery,
making their mark with sheepskin
slippers.
Eco inspirations
It’s Oct. 30, Clark’s 33rd birthday, and
he’s spending it in a mall. “I can’t think of
a worse way to spend a birthday,” he says
dryly. “Philosophically, I’m against people
spending time in shopping malls, but
there’s no point preaching to the con-
Terra Plana’s third London store.
Shoes are sitting on cardboard
shelves — a sustainable “no glue,
no nails, no fuss!” retail concept
called FOLDZ that was inspired,
like the shop’s products, by the
ever-changing ecosystem.
Some of Terra Plana’s shoes are
adorned with Pakistani and
Bangladeshi dowry quilts.
