Clemens intentionally failed private school placement tests to avoid wearing uniforms
Telfar Clemens · Telfar: Telfar Clemens and Babak Radboy · Feb 14, 2022 · at 5:39
Fashion designer Telfar Clemens discusses his childhood in Maryland and his early determination to choose his own clothing.
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“Every single placement test that I would take, I would mark A-A-A-A-A-A all the way down to placement test so I wouldn't get in.”
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Clemens: Formal fashion training is unnecessary to direct and create design
“I don't think you need any kind of formal training to do that, or necessarily, it's like, sometimes ripping something and telling someone to do that thing that you just did is like the thing that you need to do, you know, to get what you want. It's not a refin…”
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Clemens plans to open physical retail stores with apparel and lifestyle goods
“I want it to be accessible. Like, you can go to a store and get the things that you want to get, you know. A Telfar store. Definitely clothes, definitely accessories, and definitely an experience. Candles, pianos, bath bombs.”
Clemens concealed his age starting out in NYC to avoid industry disrespect
“I had this whole thing that I wouldn't tell anyone how old I was. Like, my best friends, they didn't know I was 18 until I was 21, you know? Like, they thought I was 21 the whole time, because I always just immediately would just feel, like, this amount of dis…”