Soon you’ll be able to exercise more than your clicking finger while getting your hands on coveted gear from Telfar Clemens. The queer Liberian American designer, whose iconic shopping bag has become a fashion status symbol over the past few years, is planning to open a retail store in New York City sometime this year.
Clemens revealed the IRL plans in an interview with popular morning radio show The Breakfast Club this week, as Essence reported.
“There is one coming,” Clemens told co-host DJ Envy. “We’re opening a store this year in New York City. And we’re still deciding where that is going to be. I don’t want to say too much about it, but we’re opening a store this year.”
Despite not knowing where and when the store will open, we are already in line. Please queue up behind us and Zoë Kravitz.
Amid a wide-ranging conversation that covered everything from Clemens’ approach toward genderless clothing to his days as a downtown DJ, the designer also recalled how difficult it was to launch his fashion career.
“I didn’t get a lot of coverage, because I thought I’m doing both men’s and women’s,” Clemens said, noting that he struggled for 10 years to break through as a Black designer who made unisex lines. “But I’ve always been like, if I’m the best at what I do, then I’m going to get attention.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Clemens recalled receiving early support from Solange, who reached out to the designer directly when he was just starting out. “She still supports me,” Clemens said. “She’s a cool person and she knows what she likes.”
These days, Telfar bags are so in-demand it can feel impossible to get your own. But while we wait for the chance to buy one in person, Clemens revealed alternative means to nabbing one of his coveted drops in a Fashion Week press conference last fall. The brand has launched two streaming TV networks, Telfar TV and FTV, both available for download from the App Store. New bag launches appear randomly as QR codes on Telfar TV, which grant access to advance purchase.
Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor!
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