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LOVERBOY in the latest PERSONNE MAGAZINE
After two seasons, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy is back to showing IRL. Although his venue was East London nightclub Electrowerkz, this wasn’t just a celebration of club kid culture. He saw it more as a ritualistic opening of a portal (naturally, the show was called Portal). His show even fell on the same day as a full moon, as well as within the pagan Mabon festival, which celebrates the fall equinox.
Set the scene: shamans in sculptural, hand-painted costumes chant as the crowd squeezes into a dark club space decorated with nothing but red laser beams to distinguish a runway. Cue a macabre performance by three dancers that ushers in a blaze of models stomping to heavy electronic sounds. Oh, and then a surprise appearance in the audience from the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, and his family.
The clothes themselves had instantly recognizable Loverboy signatures, split across three sections. First, a gothic celebration of teen angst via ruffle-collared coats with black lace tights or a 17th century doublet in puffer format. Then color block moments, a notion continuously explored by the designer, with an iridescent update to the Loverboy tartan and a “Lou Reed-inspired” two-piece suit made out of apple leather. Lastly, a chaotic, psychedelic section with sheer and disheveled pieces that felt appropriate for Burning Man. The cast represented a diverse mixture of brilliant queer, trans and non-binary characters, most of whom are Jeffrey’s friends. There were new items from the recent collaboration with Fred Perry, as well as boots from Dr. Martens, who sponsored the footwear, smothered in candle wax.
After six years of firmly establishing himself as London’s enfant terrible, Jeffrey received an investment from Tomorrow Ltd. earlier in the year, taking his business to greater heights. The backing means that the Scottish designer now has the capacity to give more to his small, dedicated team, as well as the London creative community which he’s been an integral part of.