Telfar and Aupen are two brands around which considerable hype has been generated. They are two ‘native vegan’ brands and, for this reason, appreciated by the so-called ‘people who like it’: celebrities, actors, and influencers. Both of them, however, made an unsettling choice at a certain point in their business history. They started using leather. That’s why the question they might ask each other is this: “Do you remember when we were vegans?”
by Massimiliano Viti
“Do you remember when we were vegans?”. This could be how the story of Telfar Clemens, the Liberian-American designer who founded the Telfar brand in 2005, might begin. The company’s motto is to make designs ‘not for you, but for everyone’. The brand has become so famous among celebrities that Beyoncé quoted it in the song Summer Renaissance released in 2022: ‘This imported Telfar bag. Birkin? Those are in stock’. The brand’s success exploded with the shopping bag, first produced in 2014 and modelled on the shape of a Bloomingdale’s shopping bag. They renamed it Bushwick Birkin. Bushwick from a once industrial and now fashionable Brooklyn neighbourhood. Birkin is the name of Hermès’ most famous (and expensive) bag. Telfar’s bag was not made of leather, which made the brand one of the most fashionable vegan brands. It was for at least a decade.
When we were vegans, pt 1
In 2021, Telfar began to ‘derail’, producing the first and only leather bag. It is the Quilted Large Shopper featured in the collaboration with Moose Knuckles. On 30 September 2024, however, Telfar took the plunge, launching The Carry, a new bag made entirely of leather. It was a shock for many. For some fashionistas, the introduction of leather was a significant victory. While vegan leather represented a buying incentive for those buyers most likely to be unreceptive to green fantasies, others felt that it did not have the desired durability. Price was also considered a point of weakness. Leather is known for its durability.
Some fans of the brand did not like it, pointing out that switching to leather might go against Telfar’s ethics. But, in general, the reception has been very good. The change marks a new era for Telfar, offering something new and fresh to its loyal customers and broadening the brand’s appeal. Indeed, we could say that Telfar is not just changing materials but ushering in a new season and changing the rules of the game. Leather also represents the brand’s (independent and black-owned) answer to traditional luxury. “Although our prices are more than four times higher than our traditional line, they are ten times lower than comparable bags. We welcome any comparison.
When we were vegans, pt 2
“Do you remember when we were vegans?” might also ask Nicholas Tan, former Singaporean model and now entrepreneur with the handbag brand Aupen, which launched in late 2022. The brand went viral very quickly after its bags were photographed in the hands of well-known US influencers. The brand’s high visibility in Hollywood, its reputation as a vegan brand and its sub-$500 price tag proved to be a winning combination. But almost as quickly as it became famous, Aupen moved on to leather. In the South China Morning Post, he calls it a sustainability choice. ‘We replaced vegan materials with calfskin because we found that using vegan materials was less sustainable from a production point of view.
Calfskin is more expensive, but it is an investment that you can use better every day. ‘ Then, to WWD, Tan explained that we started with vegan leather, and now we only use leather. Our customers have given us great feedback, and we intend to continue. This switch has undoubtedly facilitated the partnership between the brand and LVMH Métiers d’Art, as a result of which the brand will not only move production to France but will also have access to the LVMH-owned supply chain, including tanneries. Not surprisingly, Aupen has already started developing new products with some companies in the LVMH galaxy. For example, Tanneries Roux.
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