The Telfar: The ‘Bushwick Birkin’ bag that is the holy grail accessory of 2020

The New York brand launched their Bag Security Program yesterday for 24 hours only

The Birkin, the baguette, the Chanel 2.55 — some styles of handbag define a generation. Timeless, beautifully made, with a point of difference that exceeds all others.

It’s hard to imagine what the accessory of 2020 would look like — a year that has been fraught with tragedy, anxiety and financial woes; where fashion has taken a nosedive and the entire industry is floundering in its wake; and the new generation of it-kids are shopping vintage and second-hand much more than they are on the high street.

This year’s holy grail accessory is one you may not even have heard of. But around the world, shoppers placed their orders last night for a package that won’t even arrive until January — in the middle of a pandemic, that’s what you call ‘in demand’.

The Telfar tote has been nicknamed the ‘Bushwick Birkin‘ for its street-savvy approach to timeless elegance. Telfar is a unisex clothing brand based in NYC since 2005, founded by designer Telfar Clemens. The brand is Black-owned, non-gendered, and deals in streamlined, refined collections — it’s everything the 2020 shopper wants.

Its most sought-after product is the Shopping Bag, which comes in a variety of sizes and colour options. The logo-stamped tote retails from $150 to $257, and has been seen on the arm of both Brooklyn creatives and A-list celebrities alike — Solange Knowles, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa and more are known to be fans of Telfar.

The brand can’t seem to keep the Shopping Bag in stock, so this week, they launched an unprecedented project. Telfar’s Bag Security Program is running on its website for 24 hours only, and allows shoppers to place their order for a Shopping Bag with guaranteed fulfillment. They may be waiting until December/January for delivery, but in these 24 hours, shoppers are guaranteed a Shopping Bag will make its way to them.

The message about the Security Program on Telfar’s site makes no qualms about its terms and conditions. “We are not about hype and scarcity. We didn’t set out to make an impossible to get product. The whole point of our bag is accessibility and community,” it reads. “THERE ARE NO REFUNDS • NO CANCELLATIONS • NO CHANGES of any kind to your order – NO EXCEPTIONS. We have to actually make your bag FOR YOU. This is the only way we can offer this program. If you are not sure you can wait you can take your chances with the drops.”

If the shopper pays in full, and accepts the terms of purchase, Telfar promises to keep their end of the deal and deliver on one of the most in-demand items of this year. They hope to live out their motto in full: “Not for You. For Everyone”.

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