Four years ago, New York native and Liberian national Telfar Clemens brought his original new perspective on basics to us, after VICE Magazine's Fashion Director cast him in their Paris Is Burning-inspired fashion show. Telfar's signature oversized terry hoodies (now seen everywhere from American Apparel store to Bernhard Wilhelm's runway shows) draped the legendary Vogue dancers from the House of Ninja as they battled their rivals from the House of Givenchy on the floorboards of the Ukranian National Hall in the East Village. (How much more Downtown New York can it get?)
Clemens just graduated from Hunter college this week with a business degree, and he spends his nights DJing all kinds of debaucherous parties. We're not sure how he finds the time to be an honor student and design his line. The designer has a simple answer: disco naps. "I sleep from six to nine every night."
Clemens is also known for his personal style which translates into his collection. He uses vintage accessories to add depth to his generally simple fabrics and colors (black, grey, and white terry are central to his collections). Where does he get his vintage gold? "I go to Brooklyn. Stores like Junk and About Glamour have funny, random things. I live and hang in Chinatown. It's all about Chinatown. And, of course, the East Village Market... if it still exists."
Like so many of Downtown's best and brightest in the fashion world, Clemens takes his inspiration from living in New York, and says his collection this season is Working Society. "I used colors, fabrics and combinations of corporate dress with a twist." He keeps his androgynous collection flexible and balances oversized silhouettes with tight form in all the right places. The key item for Spring '08 is an 80's-inspired oversized, light-weight trenchcoat that looks like Liquid Sky-meets-American Psycho. We're big fans of the new corporate chic that Telfar presents.
