Liberia: If You Haven't Seen Liberia's Olympics Uniform, You're Missing Out Big Time

Teflar outfit at the Tokyo Olympics.
26 July 2021

Cape Town — The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo is finally here - a year after the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the games.

The best athletes from every corner of the world have gathered to compete against each other to take home the gold, but first the opening ceremony where all the new uniforms were on display.

And instead of the usual Olympic sporty fare, Liberia changed it up - thanks to Liberian-American Telfar Clemens who was born in New York. Team Liberia's looks featured gown-inspired silhouettes with a sportswear twist, finished off with an updated version of Telfar's signature T logo on the chest.

The outfits have a light blue base with LIBERIA in white, as well as matching sleeves and socks, the uniform is simple yet features some of Telfar's signature design cues,  writes Tora Northman for Highsnobiety.

Designer Clemens is no stranger to attention though - his Telfar bag was chosen as one of Oprah Winfrey's Favourite Things in November 2020, and the bag showed up in the wardrobes of U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Corte, musician Swae Lee, and Real Housewives of New York City star Sonja Morgan.

But this might be Clemens's biggest runway show yet.

The DJ who founded Telfar, a genderless fashion label based in Bushwick, Brooklyn, as a unisex fashion brand in 2005 with business partner Babak Radboy.

A few years ago, Clemens also collaborated with musician Solange Knowles to design the outfits for Knowles and her dancers for "An Ode To", a no-phones-allowed interdisciplinary performance at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. In October of the same year, Clemens released a special capsule collection in collaboration with White Castle, with all proceeds from the partnership going to bail funds for teenagers imprisoned on Rikers Island.

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