Why Telfar Clemens Is The Man of The Hour

Telfar Clemens has paved his path in fashion on his own terms. The man of the hour and creator of the famous Bushwick Burkin has seen a lot of success. Is this recent success a fluke or a carefully calculated outcome?

Me wearing a Telfar deconstructed t-shirt.

Photo by Micah Kannike

If there ever was a designer to recently rally the troops in more ways than one, it would be Liberian American fashion designer “Telfar Clemens.” His namesake brand “Telfar” founded in 2005 has been a beacon for the black queer community since its inception. The work of Telfar is a very cerebral commentary on identity which involves aspects of mentality, culture, consumerism, aesthetic, inclusivity, class and much more. It is as though because he is one of the few mainstream black designers with a queer focus, people tend to fixate their attention on that aspect, missing all the other nuggets that create the full picture.

Telfar's striking focus on identity can be seen clearly through the clothing. The brand was one of the first American brands to make unisex clothing, years before it would become a societal norm or used as a tool for a brand to try and virtue signal about how progressive they are. The clothing blurs the line on what is considered masculine or feminine. In many Telfar collections, the references to American culture and consumerism are evident. In the Telfar Spring Summer 2019 collection, we saw American flags plastered on quarter-zip polo shirts so you can all wear the colours on your chest with pride or shame depending on where you stand in the political spectrum. The American beer company "Budweiser" and fast-food chain "White Castle" are two common brands you can expect to see printed on Telfar clothing items. Another direct nod at the hyper-consumerist culture in America. However, it would be very disingenuous to behave like Telfar is a brand just talking about consumerism through prints. In the collections, we see everything from quirky deconstruction, trench coats with an androgynous twist, western-style flared pants and denim, lots of it in many different forms. The brand also gives a lot of opportunities to black models for the runway shows and campaign shoots, a rare occurrence in the fashion industry.

Telfar Fall 2020 Collection courtesy of Vogue Runway. Photography by Andrea Adriani. The model is seen holding a variation of the famous Telfar bag A.K.A Bushwick Birkin.

In 2017, the year Telfar Clemens won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund he sent the proceeds of his capsule collection with White Castle to help fund the bail of minors at Rikers Island, home to one of the world's largest correctional institutions and mental institutions. Telfar continues to set the standard in being socially conscious in a genuine way, unlike the influential fashion brands of today that navigate the industry engaging in philanthropy solely for the excellent PR image it brings. 

You may be wondering why despite all of Telfar's influence and accolades his name has only been in circulation in recent times. The reason is that in the past couple of years, a faux leather bag with an embossed logo created by Telfar for the Autumn-Winter 2014 collection has gone to new heights of popularity. This has been assisted by the vast army of celebrities seen sporting the bag such as Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez and many others. Even huge American political figures like AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) have been very vocal about how much they love the bag and what it represents. According to the Lyst Q3 2020 financial report, Telfar bags have been the hottest women's product. Evidence and proof that people are buying into the inclusive community the brand has created. At the moment, the bags are sold in 3 different sizes. Telfar was inspired to make the bag after seeing people carrying Bloomingdale's bags after a busy day of shopping, fascinated about how unisex the bags are. Anytime we have coined the term "It Bag" it has never been marketed at men. Think of the Birkin Bag, Saddle Bag, Puzzle Bag or the Pierce Bag and you will start to see the trend. For the Telfar Bag, it was never marketed towards any specific gender. The design is unisex to the point that everyone feels comfortable and confident when wearing it. On top of this, when compared to luxury bags, it is very affordable. The prices of the bags range between $150 and $260, depending on the size. That’s why it comes as no surprise that the bag is called "Bushwick Birkin." The practicality and utilitarian aspect of the bag gives it an edge over the tiny, impractical and overpriced luxury bags of today. It is large and can fit all your essentials in one place. Despite all the positives, people have been critical about the quality of the bags. People have been seen complaining on social media about their bag peeling not too long after purchase. Vegan leather and sustainable options are always great, but it is essential that when we choose more sustainable alternatives, we still make products that last. Vegan leather is a very slippery slope, including fabrics made of pineapple and mushroom to plastics that harm the environment.

Looking at the bags from a more critical perspective, one can say they are a tool being used to democratise fashion, bringing luxury to the masses at an affordable price. Luxury is known to segregate and divide classes. The Telfar bag brings people of every sexuality, creed and colour together. Wearing the Telfar bag gives you a feeling of togetherness, you feel part of the inclusive community and when you see another person on the street wearing one you both chant in your heads "you are one of us."

The Telfar brand acts as a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community; you just need to go to a Telfar party and witness the fantastic eclectic mix of people partying hard. In the black community, queerness is something that is still strongly frowned upon. This is why it's very important for young black queer (a now reclaimed term) individuals to have a person to look up and to and feel like their story is being told. The tale of Telfar lives on, the chapters are being written, and be sure that the end product will be a story for the ages.