Telfar’s First Store: A Block Party for the ‘Bushwick Birkin’

NEW YORK — Telfar Clemens, dressed in form-hugging leather pants and an “I Love New York” hoodie with his brand’s logo in place of the heart, had one question for the growing crowd of fans packed into his newly opened store: “What are you most excited to see at the bag bar?”

It was a question that customers lined up along Cortlandt Alley in SoHo had been waiting two years – or in some cases, two decades – to hear. Nearly every one of them was carrying a version of the designer’s signature tote, the vegan leather “Bushwick Birkin” with its elongated strap and the brand’s TC logo emblazoned across the front.

Clemens founded his brand in 2005 and launched the tote in 2014, typically setting the price between $150 to $250 – a tenth of what many trendy accessories cost. For many fans, the barrier to securing a Telfar bag wasn’t the price, however: sold mainly through limited-edition online drops, popular styles sell out quickly. Clemens first teased a store on The Breakfast Club radio show in 2022. Pop-ups, including in the discount chain Rainbow in downtown Brooklyn that year, and the upscale Selfridges in London last month, have built anticipation for what fans see as the physical manifestation of Telfar’s slogan: “it’s not for you – it’s for everyone.”

“Telfar … stands out in the fashion retail landscape in a way that nobody else has been able to replicate in a very long time,” said Eliana Jenkins, a 22-year-old public relations associate who owns two Telfar bags and was looking to score her third at the opening.

The sprawling 10,000-square-foot SoHo store is now the only place in the world where shoppers can find the entire assortment of totes, from the standard vegan leather edition in all colours and sizes to the brand’s first real leather bags, which sell for up to $960. All were displayed in the “bag bar” – a long, luminous cash register behind an alcove that runs along the entire back of the store.

In the middle of the store is a large studio, where a variety show for Telfar TV — the brand’s 24-hour streaming channel that debuted in 2021 — including interviews, performances and interactions with customers will be taped during store hours. It’s the kind of setup Telfar hopes will encourage “loitering” — cool downtown New Yorkers should feel free to hang out at the store.

Clemens’ laid back approach is in keeping with the unpretentious nonchalance that Telfar fans have come to expect from the New York-native designer. It’s a big part of what cemented the brand’s cult status among young fashionistas, and inspired thousands of people to line up for hours to say they were among the first to enter.

The opening event was more of a block party featuring special guests like rapper Lil’ Kim and the New York Liberty’s mascot Ellie the Elephant, along with an open mic where crowd members like the opera ingénue Brittany Olivia Logan gave impromptu performances for a chance to win a free bag. Raul Lopez, the designer of the popular New York-based apparel and accessories brand Luar and one of Telfar‘s contemporaries, also made an appearance.

Customers are greeted at the front of the store by a selection of ready-to-wear ranging from barrel-legged leather pants to mesh tank tops. But on Saturday the totes were the main attraction. Shoppers were ushered straight to the handbag bar upon entrance, and rapper Cleotrapa at one point took to the mic in the studio to reassure attendees that everyone who showed up would get the opportunity to buy a bag.

While plenty of visitors were looking to add to their tote collection, the ultimate draw for many was the chance to connect with Clemens himself. He didn’t disappoint. During a Telfar TV taping in the studio, Clemens invited the store’s first customer to dance with him and his co-host as the broadcast beamed on a large LED screen in the store’s entrance.

“I’m going to cry probably because I love Telfar,” said Edny Palacios, a 30-year-old content creator and entrepreneur who owns around 70 Telfar bags. In addition to meeting the designer, she was hoping to get her hands on a $195 “shmedium” midsize tote that debuted during the event.