Telfar Clemens may be listed as an inspiration for the ultra-exclusive 2021 Met Gala, but one would be hard-pressed to find a high-end designer more accessible than him.
Since launching his eponymous brand in 2005, the 36-year-old artist has balanced accessibility with luxury, creating handbags that are sought after by everyday people and A-listers.
In fact, people were slightly outraged when Beyoncé was photographed carrying a white medium Telfar bag, affectionately nicknamed the Bushwick Birkin. One person lamented on Twitter, “Beyonce? With a Telfar? Oh it’s over. Yall will never get one,” while another remarked, “welp. if you haven’t ordered a telfar bag yet, you can kiss that dream goodbye.”
The reason for their anger was quite simple: Every Monday at 9 a.m., the brand drops new products and the shopping bags almost always sells out within minutes—according to The New York Times, 3,000 to 7,000 bags are sold in any given month. Numerous fashionphiles speculated that Beyoncé’s decision to purchase the $202 tote would worsen this predicament—or worse, drive up the prices.
However, as W magazine noted, Telfar posted on their Instagram Story that the bag’s “price [is] not changing,” adding a series of bee emojis in reference to the “Single Ladies” singer.
