Telfar Clemens may be listed as an inspiration for the ultra-exclusive 2021 Met Gala, but one would be hard-pressed to find a high-end designer more accessible than him.
Since launching his eponymous brand in 2005, the 36-year-old artist has balanced accessibility with luxury, creating handbags that are sought after by everyday people and A-listers.
In fact, people were slightly outraged when Beyoncé was photographed carrying a white medium Telfar bag, affectionately nicknamed the Bushwick Birkin. One person lamented on Twitter, "Beyonce? With a Telfar? Oh it's over. Yall will never get one," while another remarked, "welp. if you haven't ordered a telfar bag yet, you can kiss that dream goodbye."
The reason for their anger was quite simple: Every Monday at 9 a.m., the brand drops new products and the shopping bags almost always sells out within minutes—according to The New York Times, 3,000 to 7,000 bags are sold in any given month. Numerous fashionphiles speculated that Beyoncé's decision to purchase the $202 tote would worsen this predicament—or worse, drive up the prices.
However, as W magazine noted, Telfar posted on their Instagram Story that the bag's "price [is] not changing," adding a series of bee emojis in reference to the "Single Ladies" singer.
If this isn't proof enough that Telfar is catering to the masses, then their website is. Emblazoned across the site is the quote "NOT FOR YOU — FOR EVERYONE."
Though, on occasion, the Liberian-American designer has crafted looks with a specific image in mind. In 2017, he and creative director Babak Radboy crafted a collection of unisex uniforms for the ever-popular fast food chain White Castle.
Telfar told Fader that the final product took inspiration from a "runway look" they originally designed for the IXth Berlin Biennale.
"We have a vision for fashion that I don't think anyone else is touching. A lot of people take inspiration from 'the streets'— and there is this whole language of appropriation — taking something 'low' and elevating it," he explained. "We don't believe in 'high' and 'low.' The way I see fashion is totally horizontal. The White Castle uniform is like one look on 12,000 models to me."
That approach to fashion was so successful, Telfar and White Castle reunited for the fast food company's 100th anniversary this past April. As part of the revamped collection, Telfar gave employees a choice of wearing T-shirts, polos, aprons, visors and do-rags.
Then, in advance of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Telfar revealed a line of athletic wear for the Liberian team to wear at the Games. This preempted the brand's first foray in the athleisure area, as Telfar told The New York Times, "These are clothes we want to sell for the rest of our lives."
Otherwise, Telfar and Babak want everyone to wear their clothing, and they have gone to great lengths to ensure everyone can have it. It's the whole reason they created the bag security program, which is essentially a pre-order system that they plan to apply to other product launches.
And central to accessibility is the price point, which ranges from $150 to $257. Telfar told the NYT that it simply doesn't make sense to sell an everyday accessory at a cost any higher than that. He reasoned, "A $800 tracksuit is not a tracksuit. A $1,000 denim jacket is not a denim jacket. They are tuxedos in different forms. They have nothing to do with any normal person we would hang out with."
Some might argue that this isn't sustainable for a designer business, but Bella Hadid, Selena Gomez and Oprah Winfrey's choice of accessory begs to differ. And, more importantly, the shoppers love it.
Telfar's admirers will see his vision for the future when he presents his latest collection on Saturday, Sept. 11. He and Radboy have said very little about their new line and the introduction of sportswear, though the creative director hinted to the NYT that it has something to do with "television" and that it won't be your typical New York Fashion Week event. As Radboy put it, "What we're going to do is keep doing the things that we're interested in. They can be called part of New York Fashion Week, but we're certainly not doing a runway show."