Telfar Clemons knows how to shut down New York City – and for his 20th brand anniversary, he did exactly that. With celebrity guests like Solange Knowles, an alley runway, and live music, the Beloved Black-owned fashion brand proved again why it continues to be an “it girl” favorite.
Telfar doesn’t just make bags and clothing – it creates (and more importantly, celebrates) culture.
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Telfar 20th Anniversary: Shutting Down The Streets Of New York City
What brand can reportedly start a show two hours late on a hot NYC night and still have folks clapping and vibing when the lights finally go up? Only Telfar. Because the folks who came out—editors, celebrities, everyday fans, multigenerational families—weren’t just there for a fashion show. They were there for the moment.
The show began with a march from the Telfar storefront down Canal Street before hitting the “runway” behind the store. Nearly 200 models walked the outside runway: musicians like Teezo Touchdown, kids in matching sets, aunties in their flyest fits, and winners chosen via Telfar’s public access TV competition, New Models.
The show was giving what the brand is known for: inclusivity. When it comes to a Telfar look, bag, or accessory, everybody eats.
The Spring/Summer 2025 collection was a remix of Telfar’s greatest hits and future-forward pieces. The runway featured reimagined classics: bold logomania, “Thank You” bag graphics, riffs on the Newport cigarette smiley face, and a rainbow of denim options—baggy, cropped, overalls, capris.
Like the brand itself, the clothing was genderless and unbothered. Relaxed suits, logo-heavy T-shirts, cutout sets, and tailored jumpsuits sat alongside fresh versions of the cult-favorite shopping tote. Of course, the “Bushwick Birkin” had to make an appearance.
Solange was one of several A-listers who braved the Big Apple heat to support the show. She – and her sister Beyoncé – have been longtime supporters of Telfar. Many credit her and Beyoncé for helping to amplify the brand in its early days.
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Telfar’s 20th Anniversary: Why You Can Never Make Us Hate Telfar
The brand’s rise is legendary. From vegan leather totes that sell out in seconds to collaborations with Moose Knuckles and Wilson’s Leather, Telfar built an empire by embracing the people many fashion houses ignore. We’re talking about Black folks, queer folks, and community-centered creatives.
The people who move culture.
Telfar’s marketing strategy has always broken the mold. They’ve used crowdsourced models, pop-up sales with near-wholesale prices, and a public access TV channel where customers vote on what they want to see next. There’s never been a reliance on traditional gatekeepers. The power lies with everyone.
Twenty years in, Telfar isn’t just still standing. The brand is still disrupting, centering community, and making fashion feel like it belongs to all of us.