The Telfar FW19 show seemed to be a bit of an afterthought considering the venue - Irving Plaza, a music venue - with a raucous concert that followed the collection. However, the collection was very thoughtful in its approach, it just seemed to get lost in the promise of a show and of the White Castle burgers that were handed out prior to the show - Telfar designed the new uniforms at White Castle. For FW19, the New York-born designer explored the American south-west with chaps and flannel but also what makes one American and the divisions of this large and diverse country that's so full of the idea of "them vs. us". It's a heavy topic and one that can't be resolved with one collection but few designers in New York have the perspective of Telfar and this collection is a small but progressive step towards the full exploration of the American man, something that a certain European designer could not get a grasp of in his almost-3 year tenure at another New York label.

What does it mean to be an American? What does it mean to be a man? These two questions seemed to circle around Telfar's SS19 collection, shown near the East River of New York City on a cold and rainy day. The lively show was heightened by musical performers, who were, of course, wearing the latest collection. Back to those two questions. Firstly, is being American mean wearing clothing with the American flag emblazoned on the front? Or pontificating about how much one loves American beer, such as Budweiser? Does being a man being one cannot wear an asymmetric or a cape? The world is undergoing a lot of change, those who were on the fringes for so long now are starting to find their voices and those in the majority now fear that theirs is no longer the only voice the public will hear, even though they have the mic. These observations and thoughts all seemed to emanate from this strong collection and, really, what is fashion if not to be a reflection of the times, like most art? Telfar excels in this and even more so this season.

Telfar Clemens is arguably one of the most talented new designers to come out of New York in recent memory. Being a teen who created garments for himself and his friends, he was the zeitgeist that more well known designers would have looked towards for inspiration ("from the street", as some say). Now, being an adult with his namesake label, Telfar trailblazes in ways that are exceedingly more authentic than most. For SS18, he continues to upend gender and sartorial norms, with backwards polos, side-split shirts and wide tailored pants, all of which seemed fit for literally anyone, regardless of race or gender or orientation.

Telfar turned clothes upside down for his FW17 collection, which saw the reversal of traditional fabrics: knits as pants and denim as shirts. This was just one element of Telfar's unique and omnisexual collection that culled from streetwear and jazzed it up with cool detailing and styling.

Telfar Clemens' signature label plays on convention every season and this season, the American designer looked to create an egalitarian collection based on clothing seen on the have's and have-not's. The show's high energy came in part from the designer's joie-de-vivre, see his joyous final sprint, and that translates every season to his clothes, which crosses the lines between men's and women's to fancy and drab; a delicate balancing act but one nimbly achieved by Clemens.

After breaking on to the fashion scene, Telfar returns for a sleek and athletic collection full of luxurious fabrics, mostly in buttery soft leather, draping over the bodies of the models. Scoop neck jackets and shrunken proportions were also seen and created a gender neutral look. The stark silhouettes, paired with the luxe fabrications, imbued the collection with a sophisticated air for the modern man whose wardrobe is not restricted to suits and ties.

Telfar's ultra-cool label took us to the jungle for SS16, there were military-inspired designs with lots of drab olive hues while lighter looks like a plum safari outfit were cheeky and fun. Gender lines continue to be blurred here as men and women were matching outfits, clutching little bags or donning body hugging asymmetrical tops, fluid pants and leather flats.

Telfar's sexy, pared back Fall/Winter 2015 collection was rooted in the 50s, maybe even hustlers of the circa. This was no American Gigilo, instead, these hard-bodied men wore denim, varsity-style tees, and showed plenty of skin, from their knees via slashed pants to a bolero-style hoodie.