“It’s not for you – it’s for everybody” – "PERFORMANCE" and "WOW" amidst Telfar’s Vision

As if being the closing show at NYFW Spring/Summer 2022 wasn’t already enough, Telfar Clemens and his namesake label had to leave us in awe with an all-rounded sense-provoking experience.

The first part of the NYFW finale „Is a trailer of the past six months of production at TELFARTV. It represents the last six months of an ongoing improvisational, non-extractive cinema practice.“ For context – TelfarTv, is a black-owned, around-the-clock live tv channel drawing on user-generated content. The immersive experience at Clemens‘ show has brought up substantial questions on inclusivity, body neutrality, and creative ownership.

Part two of Telfar’s Spring/Summer 2022 resembled the fabrication of clothing for an entire sports team, reminiscent of when Clemens designed the Olympic uniform for the Liberian National Team in 2020. Layers of skin-tight performance wear, little tees to deliberately exaggerated jerseys, airy silhouettes, and baggy cargos – all embossed with the evidently divisible logo – truly making it a performance.

Recognized for his pioneering faux leather shopper, also known as the „Bushwick Birkin,“ Queens-born Clemens has managed to bring about so much more than just a fashion brand. Instead, he embarks on a sincere and personal narrative on immigration and elucidates different dimensions of the „American Dream.“ Despite the complexity of this fulfillment, it harbors something empowering – namely, that Clemens‘ West African roots lead him to establish further iterations of Americanism that are changing the fashion landscape.

In an interview with CBS, Clemens explains why his price point has remained in its segment despite the skyrocketing demands; the brand is about connectivity, essentially, being able to relate to one another rather than building an elusive barrier of exclusiveness.