Divorcing Fashion Industry At Inception
Early on, he embraced a bold sense of individuality, developing his own unique style that set him apart. This nonconformity often clashed with the uniform policies of the schools he attended, and he was similarly uninterested in following the traditional dress codes of his Liberian heritage.
“I always have been interested in clothes. I’ve always had my own perspective on what I wanted to wear…I come from West African parents. I’m from Liberia and there’s a certain way of how you should dress and how you should carry yourselves and I completely was not with that,” Clemens mentioned on “The Breakfast Club.”
In 2005, Clemens introduced the world to Telfar, a New York-based unisex fashion brand designed to stand apart from the traditional fashion industry. From the outset, he distanced himself from the industry, viewing it as too closed-minded to embrace the innovative vision he was building.
Decision To Not Open The Business To Investors
His stance on individuality has also served as a primary reason for rejecting a slew of offers, even in the midst of the brand’s heightened success during the wake of COVID-19. Many companies flocked to show solidarity for Black-owned businesses following the wrongful death of George Floyd.
“I like what I do. I’ve gotten offers from everybody and it was around a specific time around 2020 when people wanted a Black face to be a mascot for a brand that’s not Black-owned to be acceptable for the time being. You see, 2024 things are shifting back,” Clemens explained on “The Breakfast Club.”
The designer added, “I have the freedom to do what I want to do say. I enjoy what I do. I have the freedom to do what I want. Say what I want to say, which is really important (to) have the freedom to choose when I put out a collection, how I put it out and with who and couldn’t imagine being able to do that in this system. Like I said, I had to actively choose to leave the fashion industry.”
First Flagship Store
The brand has earned the support of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, experienced sellouts driven by overwhelming demand, and is set to debut its first flagship store in New York City on Nov. 23, 2024.
To RSVP for the store’s grand opening click here.
