By Lily Raine
Telfar Clemens’s signature handbags have been all over my Instagram feed recently. Celebrities like Bella Hadid, Solange Knowles and Selena Gomez have been photographed with what is now being called “the must-have accessory of 2020.” The bag was launched in 2014 and was popular then, although it gained most of its momentum starting in 2017 — it is affordable while being a statement piece. It has become so popular that it is nearly impossible to find online, as it has consistently sold out since 2014.
The new launch of the bags on July 23rd essentially broke the internet and the site is still shut down until further notice. We’re hoping they’re restocked soon. Aside from creating a must-have accessory, we love what Telfar stands for. This black-owned fashion brand has also become a source of allyship with the black community as well during the black lives matter movement, which also may have caused some of the raging demand.
The founder of Telfar, Telfar Clemens, is a Liberian-American fashion designer. Clemens was born in Queens, yet moved back to Liberia for a time before returning to the United States to avoid the second Liberian War. He founded his company in 2005 while studying fashion design at Pace University in New York City. The company is now based out of Bushwick, Brooklyn- hence the nickname for his shopping handbags, “The Bushwick Birkin”. The nickname is apropos — the price range is significantly lower than a Birkin (It sells for between $100 and $300) , and is big among city dwellers and Brooklynites. As the company has said the bag is like a Birkin, “but for those who don’t have Hermes coins.” It challenges high-fashion that is primarily targeted to the white and the rich.
Marketing for other high-fashion brands often fails people of color by giving them minimal to no representation, which is why Telfar’s advertising is so revolutionary. Clemens describes his brand as “genderless, democratic, and transformative”. Telfar Clemens has also done collaborations with White Castle to create new uniforms and donated profits to bail funds for teenagers imprisoned on Riker’s Island. He recently announced a partnership with Gap, but it has been postponed due to COVID-19.
The Shopper Bag comes in different sizes and colors, but consistently in the same rectangular “shopping-bag” shape, modeled after shopping bags from Bloomingdales. The bags have a handbag strap as well as a cross-body strap. All bags have an embossed front logo consisting of the letter “T” inside of the letter “C”. This logo has special meaning because it was created by one of Clemen’s teachers when he was in elementary school. His monogram stuck with him years later and now defines his creations.
“At the end of the day, it’s about more than fashion. It’s about visibility and power,” Clemens said in an interview with The Cut.
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