Telfar Clemens + Brandon Blackwood

Initially I had wanted to title this blog post, “Telfar Vs. Brandon Blackwood”; but after seeing that big bold sentence at the top of my page, I was instantly turned off. You see all brands are faced with competition. However Black brands that fall under luxury tend to face an even greater amount of tension through this competition, because there’s this idea that there can only be one, AND THATS NOT THE TRUTH!

Telfar Clemens and Brandon Blackwood are two amazing designers. The designs of their purses give me so much light and I honestly want to buy them ALL. However the two brands are very different and tend to get lopped together because the designers are both African American. Through research I have noticed that Brandon Blackwood loves to promote, sharp, clean images where every pixel is perfected. It gives the traditional vibe of luxury with some fun, new twists. However, Telfar runs his social media pages very differently. Rather than striving for perfection, Telfar focuses on inclusivity and community. His content ranges from funny Tik Tok post from consumers, viral Twitter memes, and of course your expected and perfected editorial shots. I believe that this is a very effective strategy for Telfar. From the start of his brand Clemens has ensured inclusivity by closing the gender cap and making sure that his products remain an affordable luxury for everyone and anyone. The emotional and well crafted content on his page aligns perfectly with his brand message and truly makes customers feel appreciated, connected, and heard. If I were running the brand I would make sure that Clemens and his team continue to run there page exactly as they are, and try to spread out that same sort of content on Tik-Tok.