Last September, Telfar Clemens traded New York for Paris to debut a 70s-inspired collection which included a collaboration with Converse. Now, following on from his AW20 show at Pitti Uomo, the Queens-born designer is releasing a new collection designed in partnership with Gap.
“Gap is kind of a big deal for us because, to be honest, our dream has always been this big-box thing – to be part of everyday life and people. That is who actually inspires us,” Clemens explains of the project, adding that the whole thing has been almost a year in the making. "We took it really slow to make sure we did it right.”
Talking on the process of deciding whether the partnership felt right, Clemens explains it was the brand’s ubiquity in American culture that was most appealing. “It’s specifically because of what Gap represents for people who grew up in America – both from everyday life and their ads in the late 90s… If you said t-shirt at that time, you actually meant a Gap t-shirt,” he says, confirming both Gap and Telfar’s DNA embodied the concept of anti-fashion and created a sense of power he has always been obsessed with.
Rejecting the common trope of brand collaborations that are deep-rooted in logomania, when it came to this offering Clemens was instead inspired by putting a “twist on the suburbs”. Fans of Telfar can expect the brand’s democratic ideas to be implemented in every aspect of the collection, with the main goals being to “Give people genderless options when they are going back-to-school shopping; make things available in real-world sizing and pricing that our families could actually afford when we were growing up.”
Among the offering are dual-branded sweatshirts and hoodies, classic tees, and more than a few denim styles (though for now, the collection remains largely under wraps). Not everything is understated, though: there's still what Clemens calls ‘some hype shit!’
In comparison to most high fashion brands, Telfar’s prices are already considerably low with their iconic shopping bag starting at just $150. This collaboration, however, will have even lower prices, something Clemens and his team were told was a bad idea. “It doesn’t take value away because our brand is not about scarcity or wealth or envy, we are actually a new type of brand,” he explains of the importance of accessible prices.
Set to be released in the autumn of this year, it’s sure the accessibility of the collection will open Telfar up to a whole new spectrum of people – who won't have to break the bank to be part of the label and its pioneering vision.
Revisit the AW20 Telfar show above.