The Untold Truth Of Telfar

The designer behind the brand, Telfar Clemens, was born in Queens, New York, in 1985. His family moved back to their home country of Liberia for a time, before returning to New York and finally settling in Maryland (via Vogue UK). His interest in fashion began at a young age, and felt restricted by the options that were available to him: "No one made clothes that I wanted to wear — they just didn't exist. I wanted a crop top that said 'B***h' across the front, but I 'couldn't shop in the girls' department.' Having that restriction, of not being able to look how I wanted to look, made me want to make my own things."

Clemens planned to leave Maryland as soon as he could and move permanently to New York. "The day that I graduated high school was the day that I moved. Like the first chance that I got, I was out," he told NPR. He also revealed that he began his fashion career by cutting up T-shirts, reconstructing them into new garments, and selling them on the street after his family members helped him learn how to sew.

Telfar's mission to be an inclusive fashion brand is apparent through and through — from its clothing offerings, its pride in its humble origins, and, of course, its slogan: "It's not for you — it's for everyone."

Babak Radboy, Telfar's creative director, told Women's Wear Daily: "I think the core thing about the line is it's not an identity-based line. Not even just in a racial sense, but even gender and class. The whole point of the line is that it's universal. And that specifically is what makes it politically charged or challenging. But Telfar is saying, 'No, this is normal.'"

Telfar Clemens' own identity as a queer person of color contributes to the brand's all-around message of inclusivity. As one Telfar fan, Kiara Ventura, told The Cut, "Time and time again, luxury brands have failed at their advertising and marketing because there's obviously few to no black or brown people on their team." Ventura continued, saying, "When I look at ads for Telfar, I see black and brown people, I see queer people, I see how it's a genderless brand. I think it's about time the world supports a genuinely inclusive brand." The concept of an "accessible luxury brand" might seem like an oxymoron but, according to Vogue Business, Telfar has managed to do it.

While Telfar is a fully-fledged fashion label that offers clothes, shoes, and accessories, it is best known for its Shopping Bag — aka the "Bushwick Birkin."  In line with the brand's goal of accessible luxury, these bags are relatively affordable in contrast to many other high-end designer bags: $150 for the smallest size, $202 for the medium, and capping out at $257 for the large.

The bag has become something of a symbol — not a symbol of wealth, but a "symbol of group identity for young, creative New Yorkers, especially queer people and people of color," according to The Cut. Of course, the bag's popularity has expanded past New York into the rest of the country — and the world — but the brand and its iconic bag continue to serve as symbols of expression for a community with similar values. 

Business Insider explained that the bag's design was based on Bloomingdale's shopping bags (hence the name), and features the brand's signature logo, which is comprised of Telfar Clemens' initials, which originates from the way his elementary school teacher wrote them. The Shopping Bag was released in 2014 but it really took off in 2018, after Telfar was able to scale up production with its CFDA prize money. Refinery29 would go on to call the accessory the "most important bag of 2020." 

Telfar Clemens is a big fan of White Castle, which has become a frequent collaborator for the brand. He has hosted a handful of parties at White Castle restaurants and the burger chain sponsored the clothing brand's 2017 New York Fashion Week show. That same year, Telfar and White Castle teamed up to design fresh new uniforms, according to Vogue.

As Clemens told White Castle, "I grew up around the corner from my local White Castle in Queens, NY, so I am a true life-long craver It has been a dream to work so closely with the team at White Castle. They are true ORIGINALS and this honor means the absolute world to me."

Given Clemens' love for the chain, it makes sense that he jumped at the chance to add on to his uniform designs for White Castle's 100th anniversary in 2021. Vogue reported that fans of the collection who didn't work at a White Castle could actually purchase some of the pieces, the proceeds of which would be donated to the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Liberty and Justice Fund, which helps imprisoned minors make bail.

According to The Cut, Fashion Week 2018's best after-party took place in a Century 21 department store in Lower Manhattan — and the festivities were hosted by none other than Telfar. This makes sense, given Telfar created a capsule collection for Century 21 in 2017, per The New York Times.

Photos from the party show there was a long line to get in, and a journalist for The Cut reported that although the event began at 11 p.m., she didn't get in until 1 a.m. Adding to the relatability of an event hosted in a discount department store were the down-to-earth food offerings of White Castle burgers and onion rings.

Despite Telfar's message of inclusivity and the event's clear attempts to appeal to the average person, a guest leaving the party announced, "Save yourself and don't go in — it's the Clout Olympics." We still would have loved to see what a party inside a department store looked like — with all those clothing racks removed, to boot. Despite the allegedly exclusive nature of the party, the idea of holding a party inside a store known for its discount offerings still absolutely fits with Telfar's overall vibe of being an accessible and approachable fashion label. 

While some designers experiencing the amount of success that Telfar Clemens has in the last few years may instinctually want to make their designs more exclusive and harder to get, that's never been Telfar's vibe. In fact, Telfar Clemens told Vogue UK, "I just want to be everywhere, truly global. I want to dress everybody." When he says "everybody," he's not only talking about everybody in Hollywood — he really means everybody. He further explained to Dazed, "I want to be mass-marketed in a way that's scary. It's like a Michael Kors bag. Everybody has one of those. But it's even dumber than that. I want to be Michael Kors, but on purpose."

Indeed, Clemens seems bent on rejecting a lot of the things we've come to associate with the luxury fashion world: exclusivity and high price tags, sure, but also, he seems to have some beef with the industry in general. "Fashion's always been the same," he told Dazed when asked about how the fashion world has changed. "I hate fashion people. Nobody involved in fashion has good style." Ooh, burn. We're guessing anyone involved in the Telfar brand is the exception! 

In an interview on "The Breakfast Club" radio show, Telfar Clemens revealed that the brand was hoping to open its first flagship store in New York City — hopefully, later in 2022. "There is one coming," Clemens said on the radio show (via Paper Magazine). "We're opening a store this year in New York City and we're still deciding where that's going to be. I don't want to say too much about it, but we're opening a store."

Paper Magazine suggested that some locations being considered include the Seaport area of Manhattan, and Queens, where Clemens is from. Back in 2020, when speaking to The New York Times, Clemens mentioned his desire to open up a store, saying, "Maybe in New Jersey! Queens. American Dream mall. Brooklyn. I would love to ignore Manhattan."

While it's not confirmed exactly where or when the store will open up for business, it's clear that a flagship is next on the docket for the Telfar brand. Hopefully, a brick-and-mortar location will make it that much easier for fans of the brand to get their hands on a "Bushwick Birkin" of their very own.