For his 20th anniversary runway show in New York City, Telfar Clemens embraced a democratic spirit. Everyday people were cast as models, and the show took to the streets of Soho, allowing the community to experience it firsthand. With this bold and inclusive return to the runway, Telfar subtly honored his hometown’s iconic motto: “Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.”
Telfar returned to the runway for the first time in three years with a show held at Cortlandt Alley on June 21, W Magazine reports. Featuring more than 200 models, the lineup blended local icons, like Luar designer Raul Lopez, musicians Ian Isaiah and Teezo Touchdown, and filmmaker and former Hood by Air CEO Leilah Weinraub, with everyday people.
Real life was put at the forefront with models, including vape-smoking teens, parents holding their kids, and multigenerational families. They all were selected just days earlier through Telfar TV, the brand’s public access channel, where viewers voted on who would walk in the June 20th show.
Adding to the show’s community-driven spirit, the 200-plus models began their walk at Telfar’s flagship store on Broadway, parading down Canal Street before reaching Cortlandt Alley, giving passersby a chance to experience the show and see the looks up close. It all served as a powerful testament to Telfar’s originality and unwavering independence, a spirit the brand has upheld since its founding in 2005.
“Everything Telfar couldn’t rely on when we first started this line: investors, buyers, factors, distributors, press, celebs, co-signs, D, E, or I—we still don’t rely on today,” the show notes stated. “Everything we did rely on: family, friends, vision, bullsh*t alarms, and commitment—holds us down to this day. If Telfar is the biggest Black-owned brand in the fashion world, if Telfar is the longest-running non-gendered line in history…it is only through interdependence.”
The collection featured Telfar classics infused with unmistakable New York City flair, like T-shirts printed with the iconic “Thank You!” plastic bag design, nods to the Newport cigarette logo, and smiley faces on maxi skirts. Every look was genderless, including all-white outfits and laid-back suiting. Fans also spotted nostalgic throwbacks to past collaborations, from Melissa jelly sandals and slip-on Timberlands to pieces inspired by the brand’s 2021 Olympic designs for Team Liberia, which Telfar sported during the show’s concession.
The famed designer used the show to send a message with show notes reading “free Palestine” and “free Congo,” and families of the models getting front row seats to see their loved one shine. Many likened the runway show to a block party over a traditional fashion show.
“If you don’t like the looks, we don’t like you,” Jorge Gitoo Wright, a model in the show who had gotten hold of a microphone, told the crowd. “And if you snuck in and got a seat—I f$*k with you.”
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