"Telfar Clemens is a fashion designer, and founder of the brand TELFAR. He was born to Liberian parents in Queens, New York. At the age of five, Clemens lived in Liberia with his mother and four siblings. The family returned to live in the United States after the outbreak of the second Liberian civil war (1999-2003)." 

"The work of Telfar is a very cerebral commentary on identity which involves aspects of mentality, culture, consumerism, aesthetic, inclusivity, class and much more." 

"In 2017, the year Telfar Clemens won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund he sent the proceeds of his capsule collection with White Castle to help fund the bail of minors at Rikers Island, home to one of the world's largest correctional institutions and mental institutions. Telfar continues to set the standard in being socially conscious in a genuine way, unlike the influential fashion brands of today that navigate the industry engaging in philanthropy solely for the excellent PR image it brings. " 

 Can we just start with a question that's buzzed my brain for years? Why is it that when a Black American reaches heights and levels of success, they or their brand is dubbed as the black version of or the urban equivalent to something society sees as more luxurious? Furthermore why as a collective are we okay with that? Why do we accept these hardships as badges of honor? Examples of this are people calling Viola Davis the black Meryl Streep or case in point calling Telfar, "The Bushwick Birkin". As a collective when we view ourselves and people who look like us we need to stop measuring our success and likeness with proximity to whiteness while also understanding how classism hustles all of us when we're not careful. Telfar is a name and brand in its own right with a mind of its own. Telfar's originality and brand mission reaches to the depths of authenticity, designed to be accepting to all regardless of race, class, or gender and made to be accessible to a diverse catalog of consumers. Telfar Clemens has not only made something that has redefined fashion with hand bags at the focus, he's elevated it. With major collabs with Brands like UGG and his continued eye catching designs at the olympics Telfar Clemens and the brand Telfar are on a level of their own and deserve to be addressed as the powerhouses that they are without being compared or belittled.