Black fashion designer Telfar Clemens has made his unique stamp on the industry with his signature Telfar handbags, which are known to sell out immediately after dropping on his website. Known for its recognizable raised logo design, fans of the bag have often waited in anticipation for the next release. Now, Clemens is being tasked with designing uniforms for Liberia’s competing teams as they gear up for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, proving his signature style makes him much more than a one-trick pony.
According to the New York Times, Clemens, who is Liberian-American, was sought out after Liberian sprinter Emmanuel Matadi found the designer on social media. Apparently, his girlfriend kept discussing his famous handbags and followed his Instagram account.
The queer Liberian American designer Telfar Clemens, who became fashion’s success story of the pandemic, will be bringing his signature designs to the 2021 Olympics. “They said, ‘Go crazy.’ So I did.” https://t.co/Y16dCuJPao
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 21, 2021
Clemens was instantly down for the assignment and began to work on his designs, helping to create approximately 70 different uniform pieces over the course of four months. Describing the wear as an “evergreen collection,” he told the New York Times, “These are clothes we want to sell for the rest of our lives.”
Matadi, who will compete in this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, bragged about his team’s unique and eye-catching outfits, telling the outlet they’re “going to be talked about, I’m sure.”
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Though the full collection won’t be seen until the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the New York Times reported that it would include one-shoulder tank tops, leggings, unitards, duffel bags and more. A white star will also be featured on some of the collection’s clothing, representing a part of Liberia’s flag.
Following this year’s Tokyo Olympics, Clemens will release a small collection of athletic wear items online, with a bigger “workout wear” line coming to the Telfar brand later down the line.
