Telfar's new wallets sold-out in five minutes

On Monday, while the haute couture fashion week was starting in Paris, the official Telfar website was enjoying new record sales on the other side of the globe. This time, it wasn't the emblematic shopping bag that sold-out within minutes, but a small, colorful wallet. "You asked and asked and asked - we took our time AND DID IT RIGHT," the New York-based brand wrote on its Instagram page to announce the drop. If Telfar manages to sell out 'thousands and thousands' of wallets in the space of five minutes, the credit goes to the dense network of customers that creator Telfar Clemens has built up over the years, guaranteeing affordable prices and staying true to the brand's slogan: 'NOT FOR YOU - FOR EVERYONE'.

In addition to being a novelty, the embossed wallet with the recognizable 'T' also makes its debut as Telfar's first real leather accessory, finding a space of its own among countless vegan leather collections the brand has produced over the years, although ethical does not guarantee the same longevity as real leather. Created in the 17 colours most favored by the brand's loyal customers, these semi-circular accessories include six card compartments, a large coin pocket, and a silver zip. Due to high production costs, they have a higher price tag ($144) compared to that of the ever-modest shopping bags. 

Described by the New York Times as one of the few success stories of the pandemic, Telfar's products are in such demand all around the world that the brand was forced to create a bag security program, allowing customers to customize their own bags, but limiting users' purchases to one per drop. Despite all indications, according to the brand, this is not about hype: 'We don't care about scarcity, the focus of our bags is on accessibility and community'. Telfar's continued efforts to remain a niche signature have been thwarted countless times, given the resale issue that has targeted it. Creator Telfar Clemens, who has established himself in recent years as an up-and-coming designer by winning the GQ Designer of the Year award in 2020, explained the notoriously cheap prices of his bags in an interview with Good Morning America: «I set the prices in a way that was affordable for people like me, young guys who want to be stylish, but also pay the rent and the bills ». Besides being known internationally, Telfar has become a cult brand amongst black communities, especially in America. «It's a way for us to be seen,» Clemens explained, «our customers are the ones who create most of our advertising, people can see themselves in the fashion world ».

The enterprise built by Clemens has quite unusual characteristics compared to more well-known luxury brands, especially in terms of marketing choices. Just a year ago, Telfar TV was launched, an online television channel offering customers direct access to events, press conferences, and launch parties. Clemens' new luxury is clearly a sign of the times, but unlike historic brands that only entered the discourse of inclusivity several years after their beginnings, this is precisely what the original Queens-based creator has built his brand on. Clemens represents its community without performative activism, with transparency, preparation, and above all, style.