To the general public, it appears that the Telfar bags became extremely popular in a blink of an eye. However, it was through the work that Telfar Clemens put into his brand that gained him admiration from the public. Clemens’s impact has been present in the fashion industry since 2005, starting his brand on genderless and unisex clothing. Originally from Queens, New York, he is a self-made Black-owned designer. Before gaining his popularity primarily through his shopping bags, he made his way into the industry as a clothing brand. He officially introduced his bags in 2014 at the Autumn/Winter 2014 runaway show. After winning the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize, he used the money to improve and reworking his bags to introduce an array of colors that the public could digest. From his release in 2018, he intended the bags to be practical and accessible.
From its initial release, the bags were priced from $150-$257 for their small, medium and large sizes. These prices are still consistent after four years after their initial release. The appeal of the bags grew due to the accessibility of the pricing. This product is branded as a designer brand that is catered to everyone. Typically, luxury brands are marketed to people of a higher economic class who can afford the costly products.
This bag has become a staple in the black community, with the infamous T logo printed on the bag. With its popularity, the bag adopted the nickname, “Bushwick Birkin.” Due to the exclusivity and high status of Birkin, it’s extremely sought after due to its rarity. The “Bushwick Birkin” has been worn by countless celebrities such as Beyonce, Solange, Tinashe and even New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The high exposure to the product resulted in a site crash in July 2020 on a restocking event. Resellers were purchasing the bags, to inflate the price on third-party marketplace decreasing the values and the accessibility of the bag. As a response, Telfar created its Bag Security Program that allowed loyal customers to get a chance to purchase the bag. Reiterating their slogan of “Not for you- for everyone” the bag security program was created to be accessible.
Just last week, Telfar had a recent collaboration with affordable brand Rainbows at their local store in downtown Brooklyn. The exclusivity that designer brands hold, was not applied here as anyone had the chance to get their Telfar bag. This pop-up shopping event ran from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This shop was filled with tons of bags in every size and color. Customers had the chance to buy their bags while standing in line with a five-bag purchase limit. Fulton Street was packed and showing their support three hours before the doors opened to the event. For those who were unable to get their very own Telfar bag, Clemens revealed another chance for customers.
Telfar recently had an online rainbow drop release on Friday, Sept. 23 where all colors and all sizes were made available.
Since the release of the event, social media has been in uproar and anybody who’s anybody tried to snag one of the bags. So did you become a new Telfar owner?
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest!