Vegan bag brand Telfar saw secondhand sales spike by 85 per cent globally on platform TheRealReal on the day the album was released
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Vegan bag brand Telfar has seen a major boost since being name-checked in Beyoncé’s new album Renaissance.
The independent black-owned brand, which was launched in 2005 by Telfar Clemens, is best known for its cult favourite Shopping Bag made from vegan leather alternatives, which retails for between $150 to $300 and regularly sells out.
A much-quoted line from Beyoncé’s track Summer compares the bag favourably to the iconic Birkin, saying: “This Telfar bag imported. Birkins? Them s***’* in storage.
And it’s made a major impact on consumers: according to Vogue Business, ‘views of Telfar items on resale platform TheRealReal spiked 85 per cent globally on the day Beyoncé’s album was released, compared with the day before’.
Additionally, luxury resale site Fashionphile saw a 47 per cent increase in Telfar searches, page views and ‘add to bag’ functions.
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The surging interest is no surprise, according to Kelly McSweeney, women’s merchandising manager at The RealReal.
She said: “We tend to see an immediate boost in demand following major pop culture references to brands or particular styles.”
Meanwhile, Erin Schickner, director of music and brand partnerships at BEN, said the reference to the bag signals a shift in the way we view luxury fashion.
He said: “Hermès’s Birkin has been the definition of luxury fashion and a sign of extravagant wealth for years, [but] Telfar bags are coming for Birkin’s throne — as a Black-owned business that produces a more affordable, attainable bag.”
Want to learn more about vegan leather? Discover the best vegan leather alternatives
Feature image credit: Handout/Getty Images
