Telfar

VIPER FEATURES TELFAR.

WORDS BY AMANDA Q. WALLACE PHOTOS BY JUNE CANEDO

Telfar Clemens, a fashion designer hailing from Queens, NY, has taken the fashion industry by storm this year. Although his clothing line and bags already had a local NYC buzz and idiosyncratic fashion shows overseas, 2020 saw his line transform undeniably into the hot new trend. In the wake of police murders like George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, black owned brands have experienced an unprecedented blossom in sales. Telfar is no exception. Its affordable prices and mission for accessibility instantly made it a favorite among young consumers. This combo quickly translated to Sold Out status. After restocking their website, they would experience a full clear out of their bags and accessories within less than 24 hours; an unprecedented influence for such an emerging brand.

As we know from brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and the coveted Hermès Birkin bag, most luxury brands thrive on exclusivity. Such brands often only make certain prints for certain countries or strategically release their items for a limited time in order to create high demand. Consumers are then willing to pay whatever necessary to get their hands on the exclusive product. As Telfar gained popularity, many people had the same idea and began to purchase large quantities of their inventory, reselling them to eager consumers at a much higher price. Telfar’s response to this came on August 19th 2020, when they debuted their 24 hour ‘Bag Security Program’. With this program, consumers did not have to wait for the website to restock, they were able to purchase their custom color and size for the same affordable price with a guaranteed date of delivery. By keeping their original mission of accessibility, the brand cemented itself as a pioneer in the luxury retail space. A company capable of providing glamour for all.

As online shopping becomes more of a necessity, luxury brands are finding it easier to remain exclusive by launching new products with limited inventory at any time. However, now that consumers know it is possible to pay less for a quality, luxury brand it will be interesting to see what changes larger brands make to adjust to this new concept. In the meantime, shop Telfar’s accessible, black owned brand below.

Danny Bowien currently resides in NYC and is an internationally recognized and celebrated chef. Co-founder of Mission Chinese in San Francisco which was ranked second best new restaurant by Bon Appetit magazine – he opened Mission Chinese in NYC in 2012. Most recently Danny is the main subject of the sixth season of the series The Mind of a Chef (2017).

Va$htie: An American music video director, filmmaker, artist, designer, creative consultant and disc jockey, Va$htie has been active in the downtown New York City scene for over a decade.

Selah Marley: The alluring model, musician and daughter of Lauryn Hill & the granddaughter of Bob Marley – accompanied Telfar to his CFDA fashion fund victory in 2017 and has already scored a major campaign with Calvin Klein and walked for Chanel despite only stepping into the industry a few years ago.

‘fatfemme’ is the body-positive, femme empowering moniker of Jamal T. Lewis – an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and public speaker. Her work encapsulates life at the intersection of fat and femme identity and produces work around the body, specifically exploring and interrogating identity formation, race, gender, sexuality, desire, beauty, and ugliness.

Ana Kras: A Serbian-born American Furniture designer, photographer and artist currently based in NYC

Former music editor for DIS Magazine and current Creative Director for PC Music, filmmaker, model, and burgeoning musician Finn Mactaggart has worked with TELFAR in the past before directing the SS18 film “FAMILY” and “LEFRAK” documentary for the Spazio Maiocchi in 2017. His most recent and engaging effort is his EP “Love Me Still” as ‘PIG’ where he finds sincerity over icy, lo-fi production with visuals to match.

Jorge “Gitoo” Wright: Nightlife staple and personality – Gitoo has modeled for big names across the board like Hennessey, Beyonce, and Givenchy. Outspoken and radical he uses his voice, perspective, and social media platform to influence culture in broad strokes.

Jorge “Gitoo” Wright: Nightlife staple and personality – Gitoo has modeled for big names across the board like Hennessey, Beyonce, and Givenchy. Outspoken and radical he uses his voice, perspective, and social media platform to influence culture in broad strokes.