Charles Jeffrey knows how to celebrate in style. Marking 10 years since he launched his label, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, the Glaswegian designer marked the occasion with both a knockout showcase for his SS25 collection and the opening of his solo exhibition. As you do. The former, which was set in the Georgian courtyard of London’s Somerset House was a joyous affair, with guests cheering as models and muses frolicked along, smiles stretched across their faces.
Focusing on the longstanding themes that have shaped his playful design language over the past decade, Jeffrey used his cobble-stoned stage to highlight the impact of queer culture on society’s understanding of gender and sexuality. Rooting the collection in the concept of societal sensibility, especially relating to that of clock-time and the impact that has on how we present ourselves, each look was an eclectic blend of sartorial codes. Elements of nightwear and lingerie were thrust together with formal shapes and detailing and each look was spiked with a post-punk spirit that was the perfect tipple for Jeffrey’s return to his London homestead.
Having shown his last two collections in Milan, Jeffrey made sure to have the best and brightest of his creative cohort and fashion scene around him, both on and off the catwalk. Jeffrey employed singer Beth Ditto to wear a striped, collared dress with an asymmetric hem, stylist Ben Schofield to wear a giant baker boy cap and former 10 cover star Cora Corre to wear a nautical-inspired two-piece equipped with swishing clusters of loose threads. Legendary British model Erin O’Connor closed the show, stepping through the courtyard in an armour-like peplum atop a full-bodied polkadot skirt, finished with a purple-horned helmet. Sitting on the sidelines were longstanding friends of the brand like Tilda Swinton, John Glacier and DJ and queer icon Princess Julia. It was an anniversary show to remember, with the designer translating his journey from club kid to beloved head of a mega successful brand with confidence and serious star power.
Luckily for us, Jeffrey has also ensured that those wishing to delve even deeper into his career are able to, with The Lore of Loverboy – an exhibition exploring how he developed his aesthetic and built his business – open now. Also set in Somerset House, the display came out somewhat serendipitously. Jeffrey said “Somerset House has always been an amazing institution with regards to supporting its artists. We wanted to reach out to the many people who work here and let them know that we were celebrating a decade in business and they had a space from June until September. So, it was kind of perfect timing.”
Spanning across Jeffrey’s artistic inspirations as well as most brilliant designs, visitors should expect to learn a lot about the brand’s evolution, especially concerning its club night roots (Jeffrey ran his own Loverboy club night to fund his masters degree at Central Saint Martins).
“When I started my business as a club night, those things naturally coagulated together. We had performances, we had DJs and we had an environment that people were in, so this idea of a community, and all of these sorts of ideas cross-pollinated together. Since it’s sort of become a kind of global brand, it’s easy for us to find solutions using these other platforms to express what’s needed in fashion. We’re finding innovative ways to communicate fashion via video or show or live performance. If you nurture these other spaces like art and music, they can pollinate what you’re doing in a way that’s authentic and primary to your actual creative output.”
Speaking on what he hopes young creatives attending the exhibition can take away from it, Jeffrey said, “For me, I hope that young creatives think about trying not to compare themselves to other people and realise that you can make something from nothing. I started my business with absolutely no money and I managed to get it to where it is now. Also you can take inspiration from anywhere. I think fashion is an amazing art form because you can borrow from so many other places to regurgitate it. Another thing is also how to treat your team and to learn to not be an egomaniac because it’s a collaborative effort. It might have my name above it, but it’s so many people help us come together and you just should be kind to each other.”
The Lore of Loverboy is open now at Somerset House and is running until September 1 2024. Book your tickets here.
Photography by Charles Jeffrey Loverboy.
