The Cool Kids Raved in Celebration of the Just-Announced Gap x Telfar Collection

Last night, hyped New York–born, non-gendered label Telfar took over the Gap Tronchet store in Paris to celebrate the announcement of the upcoming Gap x Telfar collaboration. The collection intends to rethink and remix universal basic garments and is already predicted to sell out completely.

The event unfolded like a successful sequel to Telfar’s much-talked-about Renaissance-inspired banquet extravaganza after his Pitti Uomo fall 2020 show, where models and friends of the house paraded live jam sessions atop circular tables scattered with food remnants of a rehearsal-dinner party, hosted the previous night for the designer’s closest entourage.

Last night’s celebration served as “an extension of the party that we had in Florence, an extended celebration of the things to come, and a continuation of the tour,” said Telfar founder and designer, Telfar Clemens. “We are celebrating this new collaboration that’s going to spread our message of clothing to all of America and all over the world,” he continued.

The three-story Gap building had been transformed into an after-hours underground club for the occasion. The storefront was covered with images and videos that captured the Florentine event by artist Elliott Jerome Brown Jr. and was branded with the new Telfar x Gap logo. Inside, retail displays and video screens showing imagery from the fall 2020 show were encased in metal mesh and immersed in smoke and neon red-and-blue strobe lights.

Per usual, Clemens gathered his cool crowd of collaborators, friends, and supporters of all genders and origins from the music, fashion, and art scenes. Among them: Kate Moss, Sophia Bush, Stefano Pilati, Violet Chachki, Honey Dijon, IAMDBB, Jacob Bixenman, Jordan Barrett, Dev Hynes, Camilla and Giulia Venturini, Ana Kras, Alice Pfeiffer, Calum Knight, and Blake Abbie. Most sipped original cocktails from transparent flasks.

After midnight, merchandise tables became stages for live vocal performances by rappers Hawa and Hirakish, who had both performed at the Pitti Uomo show. The lineup also included rave-y, live DJ sets by Crystallmess, Total Freedom, Sega Bodega, Sophie, and Yves Tumor. All of them were dressed head to toe in Telfar’s latest designs as a way of showing the new collection in Paris.

Clemens, known for turning an event into a fashion experience, once again lived up to his reputation as the party got very wild into the night. For Gap, whose presence at Paris Men’s Fashion Week was a first in the brand’s history, it was undoubtedly a grand debut. “The energy here is great, and it represents all the momentum and the future vision of the brand,” said Gap’s head of design John Caruso. “It’s a completely new chapter, so it’s important that we do things like this to stand proud, be bold, and cut through all the noise,” he added.

As to what to expect from the collaboration, Clemens said that it will be very “thoughtful” and very “him.” And as for a potential release date, it looks like the world will have to wait until next September, according to Caruso.