For Fashion Week, designers are known to send a parade of models down the runway donning their upcoming collections, or, at the very least, debuting an editorial-style lookbook. However, in the aftermath of the pandemic, the biannual event is taking on an increasingly digital nature, and Telfar is the latest to deviate from the status quo. The brand did so with an unexpected twist, and in the end, fans got exactly what they wanted: a new handbag.
There wasn’t the scenic runway you may be used to from the brand, showcasing its unisex designs often defined by cutouts, asymmetry and sporty attributes. And no, there was no lookbook, either. Instead, designer Telfar Clemens and a panel of 12 others held a press conference on Sunday in New York, with a dual Instagram Live for fans to join in. It was a fitting way to introduce its new venture, TELFAR.TV, and it’s one that signals that the brand may continue to connect with fans in a nontraditional setting (as far as luxury fashion brands go) in the future. For now, the 24-hour, live-linear broadcast channel has launched without content, but the brand encourages viewers to become part of its unfolding by submitting videos with their Telfar pieces. And we can all agree that the brand teasing that submissions might result in a free (you read that right) handbag has us all pretty giddy.
Just when live watchers on Instagram may have thought there was no new exciting product to come immediately from the event, Clemens himself halted the meeting with the statement everyone wanted to hear: “I have an announcement.” The statement cued upbeat jazzy music, and commotion understandably ensued – a tall black pedestal was rolled out from the opposite side of the room, the contents on top concealed under black drapes. Clemens, dressed in a cropped denim jacket and a matching maxi skirt, removed the draping to reveal the brand’s new bag silhouette: a large, cylindrical duffle with the signature Telfar logo on either side. On Instagram Live, the comments of approval rolled in: “I LOVEEEEEE IT!!” one viewer typed. Another said, “I NEED A SMALL ONE LIKE YESTERDAY!!!” Luckily, Clemens went on to announce the bag will indeed be available in a small, medium, and large. The kicker? According to panelist Babak Radboy, the bag will only be available through TELFAR.TV, made shoppable by scanning a QR Code that will flash on viewers’ screens without warning. Talk about keeping you on your toes – but it’s worth it. While we wait, take a look at the new sibling to the Bushwick Birkin ahead, as well as a peek into the press conference that launched it all.
