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identity with outdated expressions of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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