A Note From Willy

Telfar TV: "It was a Movie"

February 23, 2022

Think about the craziest party you've ever been to. If you're from anywhere that lies between the east coast and the north, more specifically New York, you've heard the phrase "that was a movie" shortly after the event. A phrase that could only equate the actions and reminiscence of what happened that night to be movie-like— extravagant in nature, outlandish in action, and mind fuddling in memory. That's what Telfar TV was — A movie, a collective resistance, and a celebration. Telfar is getting honest about the language they use and how its operative power works within the fashion industry. From memorable phrases like "It's not for you, it's for everyone", “NO ONE IS WATCHING”, and "it's a drip, not a drop" their language and their intention within the frame of fashion is expanding.

Telfar continues to shed the visibility of consumerism in the modern age and spread the importance of Black ownership. "Yeah. But I’m telling you: these limits on what can be said, on what is intelligible — define a limit on what can be done in the world. This is why it shouldn’t be strange to hear — that it is precisely in our resistance to certain regimes of visibility — that we have managed to do the impossible." quotes Telfar.

Text by Tiana Randall
Photos by Jason Nocito

To paint a picture, from the moment of taking your seat, you're fully immersed in a viewing experience where multiple people who devowed their love for the community that is Telfar TV made an appearance on a huge movie screen. And what was deemed as an ode to makeover shows, true performance art took place. Two grandiose screens that were displaying the film separated, a room of models appeared, and a proper fashion show commenced. As subversive athletic gear mixed with workwear, denim, and new accessories [only seen from sneak previews prior] walked its way down a runway onto a rotating pedestal, it was then cast in an heavenly light for all to acknowledge.

After putting traditional shows on halt for the past two years, the New York-based brand truly showed that anything they have in store is worth the wait. The collection was a showing of what has been under development for over two years since they went on a hiatus from the "fashion system." The curated collection serves as an answer to the time we were mystifying Telfar's presence in the industry. But now they're back and defying labels one genre of clothing at a time. Workwear, athletic -gear, outerwear, denim, asymmetrical tops, dress-wear, and more were displayed in a multitude of surprisingly bright unorthodox colors and silhouettes that have never been seen by the brand before.

To digest everything that was seen during the experience, in true Telfar fashion, the show ended in a celebration. A true celebration of Blackness, community, visibility, and the future of fashion.

Fashion

Find True Love with Gucci

The story is that of two star-crossed lovers, a fairy and a giant, who’s love preservers through all odds. The two live in harmony with one another, she reads him stories as he blows her giant bubbles to travel on. That is until one day the fairy feels she must go off and find a lover her own size. With a heavy heart she leaves her giant lover and sets off to find the Land of Tiny Creatures where she believed she belonged.

She found, what she believed to be her own utopia, beautiful people all her own size, in a land of bliss and love. She won the heart of the prince who asked her for her hand in marriage, but just as she was about to say, “I do,” memories of her sweet gentle giant flooded her mind. She was off as quickly as she had come, determined to reunite with her one true love. When she found him the two embraced in a passionate and heartfelt kiss, and as their lips met the fairy began to grown as the giant began to shrink until they could look each other in the eyes and declare eternal love.

Love holds the spotlight in this campaign, featuring the newly designed geometrical heart shaped chain bags as well as bringing back the favorite popcorn cartons. Each piece has the word LOVE printed atop the leitmotif of the selection. Sneakers, slide sandals, and silk scarves are all decorated with the classic Gucci GG monogram while pink Padlock and Petite Marmont bags are accented with Strawberry and cherry details.

Fashion

MCM Partners with iann dior for SS22 Campaign

“The speed at which we move between zones, between urban and rural, virtual and real, feels so natural in this moment, and inspired by the shifting landscape in the film, the city folding into a cylindrical society, moving into hyper speed, crossing dimensions, and arriving in the clouds. MCM is constantly evolving, and this season’s collection with the accompanying campaign is a true representation of where MCM is headed. We’re going to be bold, and we’re going to be transformational - working with partners and ambassadors that best represent our future,”says Dirk.

Continue reading for an exclusive interview and look at the campaign.

How was it like working with the MCM team for this collection?

iann dior— It was amazing to work with MCM. I’m a big fan of the brand so it’s been awesome to collaborate with them.

How did this partnership come to be?

id— My manager and I went to the Beverly Hills store and met with MCM’s Head of Marketing at an in-store event, and we really just hit it off and knew we wanted to do something bigger.

Let’s also talk about your song “Let You” that you released with this campaign. What is it about this track that aligns with the campaign?

id—The track is about going through a tough time in a relationship I was in, but about letting that person go and creating a positive future looking ahead. I felt like it made most sense to pair with the campaign because of the bright colors, ‘letting go’ and moving towards brighter times. This also ties in with the title of my album on to better things. The video exceptionally ties in a virtual world to its real-life counterpart.

What does a glimpse into your perfect world look like?

id— My perfect world right now looks like me and my dog and my friends at the beach just chilling and soaking in the sun, enjoying the day. When I’m in work mode, my perfect world is on stage performing for my fans or in the studio creating.

You’ve been heavy in the music scene and have made a name for yourself with track after track. Do you see yourself venturing more into the fashion scene now that you’ve starred in this campaign?

id— I’ve always wanted to be in high-end fashion. I love luxury and using fashion as a way of expressing myself. I like to have fun with it and try new things and step out of my comfort zone.

You continuously achieve goal after goal and do it with a seeming ease. What can we expect to see from you next?

id— I’m really striving to just be the best and reach new creative heights always. I started co-directing all of my videos with this project and I want to design my own collection, walk in fashion shows and land an acting role. I just want to be the best and do it all.

The campaign, along with the collection is bright, and bold while honing in on youthful playfulness. What was the inspiration behind the Spring/Summer 22 campaign and collection?

DIRK SCHÖNBERGER— Our starting point for the collection was to create a happy utopia. Designed during the 2nd lockdown we were looking at creating something optimistic, cheerful. We looked at Miami Art Deco so the whole color palette has something nostalgic with faded pastels, contrasted with their pop original colors. This story we continue in our campaign. I’m still interested to look at this space between the physical and virtual world. We started exploring this idea a few seasons ago and we evolved it from there…. There is the aspect of a surreal space filled with movement and seemingly defying the laws of nature. It’s fun, optimistic and upbeat.

How was it like working with iann for this campaign and what are any standout attributes about him that resonate with the brand for him to be the face of the campaign?

DS— Working with iann was a thrill, he is a highly collaborative and inspirational individual who with his music acknowledges life experiences and incorporates creatives across different genres. Our partnership with iann is a nod to the brand’s ability to extend beyond the classic styles we’re best known for. We just celebrated our 45th anniversary last year and it enabled us to reflect as well as look at the future with a different lens. We’re going to be bold, we’re going to take chances, and we’re going to be transformational and we wanted to identify someone who stands for those same ideas. iann represents that evolution and allowed MCM to lean into a fully sensory experience this season.

The video that was released intertwines real-life with virtual reality. It appears as though fashion is continuing in the direction of being online and virtually created. What are your thoughts as this only continues to progress?

DS— Instead of simply showcasing this new collection through visual representation, we wanted to create an experience. Borrowing design aesthetics from Superstudio, Memphis, and MC Escher, we created a virtual city-space that is anywhere and everywhere - a place yet to exist beyond our fantasy or mental space. It showcases evolution and crosses dimensions, yet we can all picture ourselves there. As you may have seen, we’ve already incorporated this metaverse creative element into our past campaigns when we were unable to be together in the same room creating. Since then, it has become a part of our brand identity and we believe that the blurring of what is real and what is not is a driving force behind our creativity. We’re able to visually create scenarios that we could only dream of,and the creative opportunities are limitless.

As a fashion house that continuously amplifies GenZ voices and puts them at the forefront, how important is this for you to continue doing down the line?

DS— It’s extremely important for the brand to continue resonating with GenZ audiences - this segment tends to most impactfully tap into emerging trends compared to older demographics. MCM will continue to work with talent on the cutting edge, those pushing the boundaries of the status quo.

As the year progresses, how will MCM continue to push boundaries and break down barriers?

DS— We’ll bring new collections to the forefront that are bold and innovative - from the partners we select, to the color palettes we bring to life, and the technology we use to create engaging and unexpected content.