Time - USA (2021-03-01)

54 Time March1/March 8, 2021

TELFAR

CLEMENS

36 • Fashion force

BY SOLANGE KNOWLES

Telfar Clemens is the time, the spirit
and the conversation. Through his
namesake line, he has created a uni­
verse of his own that transcends fash­
ion. Where the industry restricts
identity with outdated expressions of
presentation, correctness and exclusiv­
ity, Telfar has created a new language
of truth, through design. The Telfar
symbol is one that acts as an affirma­
tion for how we fully and confidently
show up in the world. It is Telfar’s own
inspiringly firm sense of identity that
makes possible the label’s uncompro­
mising aesthetic: purposeful basics
reimagined for a more inventive future.
It was Telfar’s vision to translate the
classic verve of an elegant tote into a
symbol that speaks directly to the com­
munity it is intended to. They sell out
before you even click on the link.
And when his “it’s not for you, it’s
for everyone” mission of accessibility
was threatened by bots programmed
to buy up the brand’s inventory as soon
as it was restocked, he launched a pro­
gram that directly intercepted over­
priced resales with an unlimited pre­
order event.
Telfar’s approach to business and
art is an affirmation of how we can fully
and confidently show up in the world
while uplifting those who have made
us who we are. When I wear Telfar, I
am wearing the stories of late nights
with his aunt who has been his room­
mate for the last five years, his bike
rides from Queens to Brooklyn to cre­
ate in his studio, and his sacred bonds
with a community of artists and musi­
cal collaborators—a family I take great
pride in being a part of. He’s been at
it for a long time, and nobody is more
deserving.

Knowles is a Grammy Award–winning
musician and artist

KIZZMEKIA

CORBETT

35 • Combatting

COVID-19

BY ANTHONY FAUCI

Kizzmekia Corbett, the scientific

lead of the Vaccine Research Center’s

corona virus team at the U.S. National

Institutes of Health, is widely

recognized in the immunology

community as a rising star. For the

past six years, she has focused on

corona virus biology and vaccine

development. During the pandemic,

those years of research led to the

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