Merging the Elite with the Emerging- Charles Jeffrey (Journey Book 3)

INTRODUCTION

Rewinding back to my 360 campaign, I designated Charles Jeffrey as one of my final collaborators and I feel he is still a strong contender compared to the designers I have analysed in my recent books. Since allocating myself a new gap in the market in the previous volume (due to alleviating Jil Sander and Mateo Velasquez) I must now certify that Charles and his brand will simultaneously bridge this gap and prove a substantial fit. It is integral for me to promote a collaboration which is highly underpinned and strong natured, despite being fictitious. I aspire for it to produce a narrative reputable and reflective of industry standards, therefore, by engaging in such thorough research, I believe I have the capabilities to achieve this.

The following concept book will solely focus on Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, extending the knowledge I already acquire from the 360 campaign by critically analysing the brand, its fundamentals and how it has evolved, whilst considering my target market, consumer, and missing gap. Methodologies, including the 10x10 theory, will support my findings and amplify my knowledge of the main themes of Charles Jeffrey and LOVERBOY. It is imperative that I have a significant understanding of the brands I am taking forward and that they align in pushing me as a creative.

CHARLES JEFFREY

Realising that my personal brand does not conform with others around me, made me realise that I have a preference and admiration for designers who envision the same. The fashion industry can, at times, seem repetitive, and for me authenticity, rawness and newness are necessary today for propelling designers and their brands further into consumer markets. As iterated in my previous module, brands like LOVERBOY often seemed too outlandish for my liking, but when allowing myself the permission to explore, granted me to find a beauty in the unconventional.

Researching into Charles Jeffrey and how he is continuously readjusting fashion norms to suit a consumer wanting more than just clothes, and instead, a community and place of belonging, was enlightening.

I felt this resonated completely with my gap in the market, in that Generation Alpha want a space for their voices to be projected and acknowledged. Their frustrations should be valued, and I believe a brand which accommodates a communal spirit, sense of identity and urge to deconstruct society’s accustomed expectations is needed for this collaborations success and gap to be merged.

Glaswegian fashion designer Charles Jeffrey has developed a brand which subverts traditions of gender, embraces heritage and identity, and provides an escapism from the harsh realities of a corrupt society.

Since graduating from Central Saint Martins, Jeffrey has transformed LOVERBOY into a scene for likeminded individuals who form a neighbourhood, allowing one to be unapologetically themselves.

“It’s a space that allows you to not know what you’re doing, but no one will stop you” (LOVERBOY.com, n.d)- I think this quote massively echoes the latter and how his brand has no boundaries or judgment.

It shows the welcoming for individuals who are confused, whether that be with who they are, what they want to be etc, and presenting them with a gift to be free- a breeding ground for creativity and an evasion from the rest of the world- something I see Generation Alpha wanting in the future.

As I progressed my research, I found my veneration for Charles Jeffrey expanded, particularly from learning of his background.

Jeffrey came from a working class surrounding and found that the fashion domain gave him the same sense of escapism that his brand avidly driveswhich I can completely fathom with because it is where I have found my escapism too.

Instructed by Louise Wilson to make his garments a reflection of what he was wearing and not what others were doing, ultimately informed the trajectory of where LOVERBOY is now, and from learning of this, it made me realise that being non-conformist and wholly yourself in your work is essential.

Infusing his love for club nights, art, music, and history into Avant Garde designs cemented the fundamentals for his brand, where his personality is expressed violently through the clashing of patterns, flamboyant silhouettes, bright colours, and bold shapes, showcasing a playfulness and youthcentred appeal.

What I admire most however, is how his brand evokes an honesty which not many designers can so excellently showlet me use AW21 GLOOM for example.

Delving into his AW21 collection GLOOM, Jeffrey exhibits a reality where there are bad times and not everything is vivid colours and satire. WE. ALL. ARE. HUMAN.

Explaining “I wanted to emphasise the idea that it’s important to feel darkness; it’s important to feel negative emotions and embrace them” demonstrates an authentic nature and truthfulness, something which pushes his brand to be more personal and a facet Generation Alpha will appreciate as it is a form of transparency.

For me, I wanted to home in on this collection and analyse how he presented this form of darkness through clothing and performance. My concept is certainly starting to evolve around Generation Alphas uncertainty and lack of hope for the future, I feel by examining how Charles Jeffrey portrays this level of sadness in his collection will inspire me to present my emotions in a provocative and artful approach too.

Figure 12 (Newbold, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy AW21 2021)

Figure 13 ('Gloom' Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY AW21 Score 2021)

Figure 14 (LOVERBOY, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY: AW21 "GLOOM" 2021)

In my opinion, there is a distinct disparity between this (AW21) season collection compared to Charles Jeffrey’s previous. His imagery releases a stillness, no eccentric or audacious poses nor harsh, heavy, and bright makeups like we usually affiliate with his style and communication. The models were stripped back and sombre looking, especially in clothing- perfectly executing the mood and dynamic of his theme.

Alleviating the colourful hues and opting for more of a darker scheme with unfinished threads, deconstructed tailoring and draping, the garments curated an oversized droop- for me a representation of a sad face. Hair was backcombed, messy and wild, raising slight nods to punk styles. Their expression was somewhat frightened too, further emphasising Jeffrey’s intentions of it being hard to smile in the face of adversity.

Intending to “create an introspective character who was going into their own psyche” (Jeffrey, n.d) I think is interesting, especially the notion of characters as it maintains his naïve and fantastical side. Jeffrey shown his communal and personal spirit within this collection through evoking an emotion highly relatable to many people.

I adore how he produced the press release

in the form of a poem too. This was tactical and accentuated his storytelling further. I am intrigued to see how I could use such strategies to invigorate storytelling in my concept too. I should consider the makeup and styling of this collection for my FMP boards and how Jeffrey subsides his looks to reflect the darker narration too.

Fashion film is an area I will honesty admit scares me, as I don’t feel skilled enough to make one independently. However, I loved watching the GLOOM edition and how the essences of stillness and fear are reciprocated through motion and drama.

I feel the music enhanced this as it gradually built up, becoming more intense throughout. The merging of theatre, dance and movement elevated the depressive feeling and provided an eeriness to the scene. Such elements like the zooming in on the eye, made the film that extra bit riveting too.

Seeing and feeling the effects of this film makes me ponder how I could attempt to do this myself. My university experience is solely focused for experimenting and building on my skill base, so I believe this could be an area to push me out my comfort zone.

CHARLES JEFFREY: BRAND INTERROGATION

Charles Jeffrey’s background and university experience massively informed the making of his brand and where it is today. I feel it is beneficial for me to explore this further to grasp an extensive understanding of LOVERBOY, what it entitles, and how I could transcend my findings into my final project.

Coined as the ringleader of London’s next generation of club kids (Allwood, 2015), Charles Jeffrey injected his love for the 80’s and 90’s and teleported his community back to the raving club scenes in numerous collections.

His brand LOVERBOY originated as a club cult night which funded his MA Fashion Design degree, gifting him the distraction from his work pressures to be completely free and to join his friends on the dancefloor in the most exuberant costumes and fantasy-wear. The nights aimed to provide a cathartic outlet and safe space for his contemporaries to celebrate the joys of dressing up (Disegno, 2018) but, also, gave him the core field of primary research, as well as key collaborators to achieve the success of building his own brand, LOVERBOY.

I feel this has been rightly reflected within his brand philosophy as it centralises on community, gender, and individuality and has rooted itself for providing an escapism for one to be themselves within the playfulness of his garments.

Since its launch in 2015, LOVERBOY has maintained a communal spirit within its brand values, welcoming LGBTQIA+ members, alongside anyone who wants to join Jeffrey’s army in sparking a social revolution to deconstruct gender norms.

Colour has been a significant player in supporting this, and I discern an analogy with the punks when they subverted traditions by wearing reds, black and grungy hues. It could be assumed that there are underlying political references in his productions, again, like the punks, but these are highly saturated by the LOVERBOY tartan, cacophonous energy, and unrestricted nature of its consumers.

I admire how Charles Jeffrey has established a brand which has considerable meaning and substance to it. It envelops eras like the 70’s but has its own contemporary spin so its messages are less severe, yet still as strong.

If I am to take Charles Jeffrey forward towards my collaborative process, I must consider- how would I show the frustration of Generation Alpha through a modern lens, as well as through such themes like colour and identityareas that are significant to LOVERBOY.

As mentioned, LOVERBOY has a firm acceptance for individuals of any gender, race, or association and this has been inspired by Charles Jeffrey’s surrounding of creatives from artists to musicians to performers. LOVERBOY was massively influenced by the 80’s/90’s Club Kid Scene and I want to delve into this as it is a subject, I am not knowledgeable of and I believe is a significant facet to be translated into my project, if he was to be taken forward.

The Club Kids originated in New York City in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s as a relief mechanism and reaction to the AID’s crisis and societal downfalls of the previous decade. The youth-centric personalities rose to prominence for their flamboyant outlook and daring charisma, with a strong willingness to challenge conventions and push the boundaries of fashion and art. Administered by Michael Alig and James St. James, the duo created a cultural atmosphere, throwing parties across the country for a “scene of broken, damaged, and lost souls, trying to find themselves”. Here, I can see a youth very comparable to Generation Alpha. Amidst breakdowns and pressures, it begs me to question whether this generation will seek an escapism in something so outrageous and destructive, like the Club Kids.

THE ORIGINAL CLUB KIDS

At a time when social media was of no existence or priority, the Club Kids confronted daytime television as a form of communication to catapult their outlandish appearance and reckless visions. The IT group instigated the DIY and resourcefulness of the 70’s Punks within their flamboyant dressing, yet with an additional entrepreneurial wave to source as an income. As stated by artist Walt Cassidy “it was about ripping things apart and putting them together, and letting all their scars show- that was a metaphor for the 90’s” (Cassidy, 2019). I think this is a deep analogy of what life was like during this period; almost to say it had been torn down and the youth were trying to pierce it all back together, but it will never be back to its original state.

Again, I think this is incredibly comparable to the world today and how Generation Alpha have immense strain to fix the problems previous generations have curated, but it will never be enough to make the globe what it was centuries ago. This accentuates my questioning from before, in that this cohort will seek for a method to get their voice heard, the Club Kids captured the public attention instantaneously, could this be Generation Alpha’s approach for calling?

THE ORIGINAL CLUB KIDS

CLUB KID VS CHARLES JEFFREY ANALYSIS

I can discern the inspiration from the Club Kids in Charles Jeffrey’s brand as it highly encompasses identity in its values. In his interview with AnotherMan, Cassidy mentioned “when the Club Kids came along, we brought the idea that our identity was enough; we didn’t have to do anything else” (Cassidy, 2019) and I believe this is reflective within Jeffrey’s brand as it acts as a safe haven for one to be themselves and that is all you have to be.

Similarly, both LOVERBOY and the Club Kids are dominated by sexuality, gender fluidity and DIY, generating a community for LGBTQIA+ and a disenfranchised generation to be as a collective and authentically celebrated. Michael Alig intended on having his own scene of unique characters (Club Kids, n.d) which I surmise to be resonant to Charles Jeffrey and his creation of models as characters. It is evident where his influence has come from and how Charles Jeffrey is successfully putting his own twist whilst merging other historical references and themes throughout his collections too.

I would love to be able to take an essence of the Club Kids further in my work, as I don’t just perceive them as a rowdy generation engulfed by drug, sex, and alcohol. I believe, like the punks, they are highly misinterpreted, and have strong messages as to why they acted as they did- something, despite being replicated within industry collections, can almost be lost due to misunderstanding. I feel an element of the Club Kid scene would be hugely reputable within my collaboration as it has such great correlations to the society we are enduring now, and the immense vulnerability and fear Generation Alpha will have forthcoming.

From learning of the Club Kid scene and their main ‘influencers’, I came across Leigh Bowery, an Australian avant-garde designer, promoter, and performance artist. Instantly, I felt Bowery’s makeup, outrageous style and provocative manner felt reminiscent of Charles Jeffrey, particularly of his early collections which were more symbolic of his graduate persona and naivety.

Leigh Bowery moved to London in 1980, after feeling alienated in his former regionthis reminded me of Charles Jeffrey and his seclusion from society due to his identity too.

Bringing a larger-than-life personality and, later, the NYC Club Scene to the English grounds, Leigh was a mainstream figure whose career resisted categorisation (Cochrane, 2018). As proprietor of the subversive club, Taboo, Bowery immersed his defiance of sexual convention and daringness to be different and shared it amongst many other creatives to flout tradition.

Again, I perceive a similarity between the LOVERBOY club nights and that of Taboo as they both connected performance art, the theatre, and all-round creative people, forming a meeting point for those to experience escapism and freedom of selfexpression.

Described as “modern art on legs” (George, n.d), Leigh Bowery consistently challenged the status quo through exaggerated and distorted silhouettes, making onlookers view his body from different perceptions and angles. Some of his designs engaged a controversial satire and easily offended the masses, however, I can see where Charles Jeffrey found his own interpretation of this and softened it down to still create an attention to his designs but not as much to insult individuals.

I love how Bowery infused his creative essences to establish a canvas with himself as the model, ultimately suggesting his dismissal for the traditional catwalk models and mode to show the human body in its natural form. The notion of distortion and making an audience delve deep into an image has always been enticing to me, so this is an area I would love to push since Charles Jeffrey has attempted this is in his imagery as well.

ART OF NOISE AW22

The AW22 collection from Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY is what initially opened my conceptual lens to combining the arts with fashion.

From navigating his release of ‘Art Of Noise’, I admired how Jeffrey stepped out of his comfort zone of fashion and dipped his feet into the music industry, collaborating with producers to establish his own 8 figure album of eclectic sounds which was inspired by the documentary ‘Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell’. The music interchanged from classical, to industrial to disco- something I believe is a deep resonation of his brands identity of chaos and colour. I admired the depth behind its narrative too, which was intended for one to think of music in 3 ways- the physical, the cultural and the emotional. It took the listener on a journey of hypnosis, immersing them into the multifarious rhythms, allowing one to connect with the garments through sound. Linking back to my prior research, I can depict an inspiration from the likes of Vivienne Westwood, who utilised the popularity of the Sex Pistols to market her garments at SEX.

Since Generation Alpha are wanting more from brands, it is essential to look beneath the surfaces to unearth an authenticity and experience which is totally unique; I feel Jeffrey has touched upon this and improved his modes of communications, so they are more innovative. This collection demonstrated him ripping up the fashion rulebook and subverting the typical runway and physical events. I think this emphasises his attempts to accommodate a younger audience wanting more from the fashion industry, as well as his meticulous craftsmanship to create the unexpected.

Moment of reflection….

Researching into this at a greater extent has pushed me to consider my modes of thinking and how I can excel my concept to be more than just fashion and instead a collation of the arts. I have already pondered with the idea of incorporating a collaboration with music within my 360 campaign, but could I manoeuvre this away from the likeability of Charles Jeffrey’s attempts and perhaps look towards another form of the arts to coincide with?

HOW HAS CHARLES JEFFREY DEMONSTRATED CONSCIOUS THINKING AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE IN HIS WORK?

Since learning of the fashion supply chain in college and continuing my education of this within university, I have learned of the damages a garment process can endure, not only to the environment but to humans too. The fashion industry will never be 100% sustainable, but I have appreciation for designers who introduce implementations to establish change. I believe that knowledgeability and action intertwine when fronting the issue of sustainability- if you are educated on the fundamentals, you are more willing to adapt your leisure. Charles Jeffrey has openly pronounced his desires to reduce overconsumption by working with second hand materials and waste products to present transparency and honesty within his brand- something I respect considerably.

His AW20 collection presented a clear nod to nature and his manifesto for respecting both the environment and the people the brand relies on (Halliday, 2020). In a collection abound with colour blocking, abstract patterning and boho prints, Jeffrey maintained the infusion of outlandish storytelling whilst evoking a narrative of climate catastrophe through an ecological background and a runway culminated with screams, thunder, and lightning sound effects. Channelling the industry crisis, Jeffrey pledges his methods for conscious practice through using chemical-free denim, organic cottons, upcycled metal hardware and localised production (Ahmed, 2020) as well as his aims to reduce waste and increase upcycling as a steppingstone for declining his brands carbon footprint. I think it is important to note how his designs remain consistent and on brand through this change, thus proving to designers that it is more than possible to addition such positive features without adapting collections completely.

Considering my collaborative plan, I must implement this manifesto myself, by sourcing second hand materials or upcycling garments to ensure sustainable habits are shown. My Fashion Futures assignment detailed the historical and storytelling components heirloom fashion can contribute to a collection, as well as its use for preventing sustainable issues- I will, thus, be searching for the latter to use within my concept too.

WHAT DIGITAL MANIPULATIONS HAS CHARLES JEFFREY INTRODUCED

INTO HIS BRAND AND WHY?

I have familiarised myself with Jeffrey’s runways each year despite not having as great of an interest until these modules, and I believe this is due to his incredible storytelling, eccentric designs, and immersive experiences he supplies. His website contains animation which influenced the design of my own website within the artefact component of the prior module, and delving into its previous history, it was once presented as a game format, inviting consumers to ‘pick a player’ before being led to a revolving line up of fantastical LOVERBOY avatars (Seward, 2020). I love this concept, particularly the engagement of characters- it gives a sentimentality aspect as well as a nod towards the metaverse.

This notion is something I want to take forward into my project and how I can manipulate my outcomes into personalised characters. I am also fond of his commercial videos leading up to his collection releases. On production of his debut album NEKO, Charles, alongside his collaborators, devised a video which began with a phone call style audio-visual- for me this was a fresh and experiential approach to engage with an audience on a whimsical level, allowing them to interact as well as learn the what’s and whys to his album. Generation Alpha are searching for brands to connect with them emotionally and meaningful, gifting them innovativeness and a fresh perspective to fashion, therefore such videos would be beneficial to consider for inspiration in my outcomes.

HOW DOES CHARLES JEFFREY PORTRAY SATIRE WITHIN GARMENT FORM?

As stated within the previous response, Charles Jeffrey implements a sense of humour and youthfulness to his brand through its marketing, promotional and storytelling features. Nonetheless, I believe this is heightened through garment form, especially through colour and pose. Looking at his Spring 2021 collection, which was created in the midst of lockdown, it is evident that Jeffrey has imposed a fun element to the imagery as to lighten the dark moments the world was enveloping. Through vivid colour clashing and psychedelic prints, he employed the fantastical photography of Tim Walker to enhance a distorted perception of his narrative. Tim Walker has been a great inspiration for me in relation to photography and how images can be injected with fun, yet still have a depth to their story. I would love to be able to create such power within my FMP.

The recent AW23 collection by Charles Jeffrey is a great example of satire within a dark narrative. ‘Engine Room’ comprises of “a unique combination of stark realism, satire and surrealist fantasy” (Williams, 2023) as an ode to John Byrne’s ‘The Slab Boys’. Interpreting his own rendition of the playwriters copy, Charles Jeffrey produced a 3-piece theatrical presentation celebrating Scotland, its workers and the renaissance man and woman. Fashioning a class system of characters, Jeffrey introduced the “workers” (the middle class) carrying paraffin lamps with soot-effect makeup and wearing protective gear, reflective of the arduous conditions they endure, the “posers” who represented the elite wore sartorial blazers, mustard yellows, and inverted tartan prints. The “Snakes” (the gossip merchants and rebellious characters of the city) wore outlandish outfits, which subverted every other look through block shades of red, black, white, and newspaper print- the source of medium for their gossiping. This collection demonstrated to me how satire is effectively utilised within fashion to segregate class systems and how it could be useful in my work for mocking the current societal pressures for Generation Alpha as well as the segregation of this group from other generations according to the underclass sociology theory.

On a side note, the styling of newspaper reminded me of John Galliano’s viral newspaper dress he designed for Dior! Which makes me ponder if he may be a significant influence on Charles Jeffrey for storytelling and club kid references as well…

HOW HAS THE CLUB SCENE INFLUENCED CHARLES JEFFREY AND HIS DESIGNS?

Charles Jeffrey moved to London at the age of 18 and began studying Fashion Design at Central Saint Martin’s where he progressed his learning into a master’s degree. To source the costs of his diploma, Jeffrey conducted a weekly club night, LOVERBOY, which I have expanded on within my previous research pages. His inspiration for this came from the 80’s, especially- The New Romantics.

Linking back to his AW20 collection, I can perceive numerous 80’s references in garment form, makeup, and hair styling. Models strutted down the runway in oversized silhouettes and frilly shirts, showcasing a theatrical and flamboyant appeal, whilst makeup was stripped back for most but included either bold lips or striking blown out eyeshadow.

I appreciate how you can discern a maturity in Charles Jeffrey’s designs compared to his early collections, yet their still remains a youthfulness and challenging concept through the splashes of colour and unfinished cuttings. I also adore how looks are identifiable with the subcultures like New Romantics, Punks and Teddy Boys, but have a ‘LOVERBOY-esque’ feature through abrasive colour blocking, pattern and illustration which familiarises onlookers instantly with his brand.

From acknowledging myself with Vivienne Westwood and her nonconformist approaches to fashion, I can also delineate inspiration from her within this collection through multiple layers of tartan and a voluminous skirt which looks like a contemporary version of the famous mini-crini. The club scene was a place for individuals to let loose, dance and express themselves; to be wholly who, how and what they wanted to be, and this has been highly influenced into Jeffrey’s brand where identity is pivotal. His collections continue to show essences of his primary club kid inspirations but are now intertwined with more historical references and a wider focus on storytelling.

WHY IS IDENTITY SIGNIFICANT TO THE BRAND?

From a young age Charles Jeffrey was bullied for his gender bending dressing, challenging of fashionable conventions and sexual orientation. And he has since channelled this anger and frustrated energy into numerous collections where he has freely embraced who he is, without the humiliation or judgment.

Whilst studying in university, CSM course director and brutally honest professor, Louise Wilson, encouraged Jeffrey to be himself in his work and to reflect on his personal approaches to styling- a muse I’d call it. I feel this has been a strong trajectory to Charles Jeffrey’s development of LOVERBOY and how he identifies it as a brand to resonate with people who were like his younger self.

Through collections like ‘Tantrum’, Fall 2018, Jeffrey funnelled the ‘growing pains’ of his childhood (Cochrane, 2018) into a theatrical performance of models screaming, crying, howling, and stamping their feet in a repetitive psychotic behaviour (Mower, 2018). I feel this is a beautiful approach to transforming such a negative time into something one is so passionate about now, irradiating a positive light. It truly embarks what Louise Wilson wanted him to do- to be himself and infuse his work with the same vitality.

I can completely resonate with this, in that I am using this module to relieve my past issues and to shine a light on how I used dance and the arts as a form of escapism, and into a contemporary vision so it is no longer a freedom but an opportunity for me to thrive in the industry.

HOW HAS CHARLES JEFFREY SHOWN SUCCESS WITHIN COLLABORATIVE PURPOSES?

Collaboration has been an integral part of my 360 campaign and has successfully translated into my FMP, where I still believe it is the right avenue for me to go down to push myself as a creative, as well as establish a powerful force between two brands. In the past, collaborations have proved significant for allowing brands to step outside their comfort zone and imburse a refreshing style and point of view. They are advantageous for opening up brands to new market levels, audiences, and they tend to sell a lot faster due to their ‘limited edition’ and exclusivity appeal. To enforce my decision, I have researched into Charles Jeffrey’s previous collaborations to analyse how they have fulfilled an aim of driving LOVERBOY into new territories. Jeffrey has collaborated on multiple occasions with the likes of George Cox, Samsung, Topman, and Swedish company Bjorn Borg.

A collaboration I found fascinating, however, was with Scottish actress, Tilda Swinton, known for her daring and eclectic screen presence (Pallardy, n.d). Together they merged their creative complexities and androgynous styles to devise custom LOVERBOY pieces, garnished with the playwright and Scottish painter, John Byrne’s art (who I mentioned earlier to have influenced Jeffrey’s AW23 collection Engine Room too). I appreciate the notion of collaborating with the unexpected. Combining their shared heritage and

embracing another form of the arts world, Charles Jeffrey, and Tilda Swinton created beautiful designs which delivered so much character, yet surprised people due to their unusual synergy. The idea of creating shock intrigues me, and I will take this forward when considering my final collaborator.

Charles Jeffrey’s collaboration with Fred Perry was also highly successful and this was evident from a third capsule edition, released in 2022. This combined LOVERBOY’s subverted undertones with the preppy traditions of Fred Perry, a British institution within various subcultures (Brain, 2022). This partnership was beneficial for pushing Charles Jeffrey’s new album farther out into the public domain, as its film featured the first single from the record. I value how Jeffrey has merged with a brand so afar from his identity and tactically transcended LOVERBOY into a different market of sportswear, here.

An interview posted on WWD magazine stipulates “in addition to in game purchases on Roblox and Fortnite, brand collaborations are already a hot commodity among Generation Alpha” (Talwar, 2023). For my FMP I have consistently considered what this cohort will approve of as they are not only my consumer but at the heart of my narrative too. I feel a collaborative process will be an exceedingly great concept to ensure this generation truly aligns with what I create.

HOW HAS CHARLES JEFFREY INTEGRATED MUSIC WITHIN HIS COLLECTIONS TO EMPHASISE STORYTELLING?

Charles Jeffrey’s Art of Noise AW22 collection is an area I have pointed out in my above findings, and this was an integral part of my 360 campaign which presented me with the idea of collaborating with the music industry too.

LOVERBOY has an indomitable musical pulse throbbing at its core and for Charles Jeffrey it is tantamount to fashion and visual art (LOVERBOY, 2022). I feel there is an interlink between the club kid and punk essence of Jeffrey too, and their relatability to music. The 80’s and New Romantics scenes were an abundant sphere of dance, pop synth, and flamboyancy. The 70’s, although a little more reckless and a whole lot more rebellious, used music to collectively showcase their similar frustrations too. This primarily shows how the disparate creative worlds of music and fashion can bring people together harmoniously, which is emphasised in Jeffrey’s brand, thriving on community.

Music has allowed Jeffrey to supplement a heightened storytelling as it underpins his narratives and connects to his consumer on a level other than just fashion and emotionally too. The power music has on a person is magical, it can evoke feelings, be utilised as a form of self-expression, and present a certain mood. I admire how Charles Jeffrey has touched into this and seen music’s powers and how it can propel his narratives further.

Although undecided if this should be my third collaborator, as initially projected in my 360 campaign, I would love to involve music in some form throughout my FMP concept as I can resonate with how it connects with one emotionally, as I have felt this myself, and truly comprehend how it accentuates a story through these emotions.

WHY ARE LOVERBOY DESIGNS DESCRIBED AS AN ORGANISED CHAOS?

How I went from Jil Sander to LOVERBOY I’ll never know! From minimalist and simple, to crazy and colour! But I feel this highly echoes me as a person and how my creativity shifts from one direction to another.

Charles Jeffrey’s work comprises of an unruly approach to styling through the clashing of patterns including stripes, tartans, and prints, along with fringed finishings, smudged makeup and a DIY approach to fashion. Nevertheless, through features like structured and sartorial silhouettes, it brings the ‘organised’ amongst the chaos! Jeffrey’s nightlifeinfluenced thirst for experimentation and the belief in the validity of mistakes, result in a colourful tension (LondonFashionWeek, n.d). Personally, I don’t see Charles Jeffrey’s designs as ‘perfect’, compared to the likes of Jil Sander anyhow, where they are sleek and clean lined.

I think this is where I have found a reverberation in his brand. I don’t strive to be perfect, both as a creative and individually, and I feel I discovered a part in his community which values the un-neat and naïve parts of my persona. The parts we all attempt to hide away from the rest of the world. I adore how his narratives relate to people on so many levels, whether that be in gender/sexuality or emotionally like GLOOM, for example, which exhibited it’s okay to not be okay.

I feel I resonate with the term ‘organised chaos’ currently, as my work embodies a dysfunctional artistic approach, which has a firm storytelling but is portrayed outrageously and at times, unkept. There is beauty amongst chaos, and my concentration for this module has been to find beauty in the unconventional just as Jeffrey, and designers like Kawakubo and Westwood did too.

WHY DOES CHARLES JEFFREY UTILISE TARTAN AND HOW IS IT SYMBOLIC OF HIS BRAND IDENTITY AND VALUES?

Charles Jeffrey is most affiliated with his Scottish heritage and rightly so! The Glaswegian designer values his native background and informs it within many of his collections. Throughout my findings, I have discerned Jeffrey collaborating or taking influence from a range of Scottish talents, from art (John Byrne for example) to music, and I feel this is massively empowering.

Within his designs, tartan is avidly prominent. Investigating into the uniform, its symbolism, and its importance for the Scots, I learned that it was worn by Scottish clans as a form of expression. There are specific tartans in a range of colourways, all of which have individual representations relaying as far back as to the 16th century. Tartan is one of the world’s leading national marks of identification, spanning from its original allegiance with clans and its semiotics to communicate political viewpoints, as well as familial, regional, and national singularities (Miller, 2021). The notion of tartan bringing together an allegiance, is reciprocal of Charles Jeffrey employing it to embed a community. I think he has used the material ingeniously to communicate a sense of belonging, and I appreciate this a lot.

Coming from a part-Scottish heritage myself, I treasure having such originality and I admire observing members of my family wear a kilt as a form of uniform, of pride and continual legacy. Jeffrey has often collaborated with Scottish tartan mill, DC Dalgliesh to continue the role of tartan in the fashion industry’s future by re-imagining how it can be worn, using both traditional designs and his own exclusive patterning (Lowe, 2018).

I feel it is important to recognise how Jeffrey is continuously seeking potential in his roots but updating them for a contemporary consumer.

WHY IS NAIVETY IMPORTANT TO CHARLES JEFFREY AND HOW DOES HE REPLICATE THIS IN HIS SHOWS?

In my opinion, your work needs a slight essence of naivety, I think it shows a youthfulness, originality, and playfulness! An element I adore about Charles Jeffrey’s brand is how he perceives his models or dress sense as a ‘character’. Despite, the child-like expression this can be associated as (I disagree to this perception), I see it as innovative and narrative. When considering how I want to style and produce my FMP imagery, I feel witnessing my model through this lens may enliven my creative senses more. I agree, there is a vulnerability in being naïve, however, as a creative I have found that when you lack some knowledge and don’t know the ins and outs of everything, you open yourself, and your personality out more. I believe I proved this within the 360 campaign, where I allowed myself to just run with the journey and see where it takes me.

In an interview with Susanna Cordner for Medium.com (a visionary platform for expert and undiscovered voices) Jeffrey iterates how his dancers are a mixture of professionals and people who just want to be part of the performance- “that energy is key to the show, and its fine because it brings a texture to the dancing”. I think as students, we put ourselves under immense pressure to establish the perfect, and the outcomes don’t always present the narrative we desire due to this flawless manner. Jeffrey has demonstrated here, that merging the elite with the emerging presents an outcome just as robust.

Coming into this year I said to myself “for your final imagery Ellie, you will have a professional model, makeup stylist, photographer, and videographer, so everything goes swimmingly, and your images will be ‘perfect’.” Within the duration of the last 6 months, I have experienced how being naïve within processes- having a random person as a model, doing the photography individually; pushes the intended storytelling much farther. Looking towards my FMP now, I want to embrace the naivety of being a student. Not everyone has the budgets or the bank accounts to strive for perfection, but the integration of passion and willingness to try, is displayed in any form of imagery and the storytelling, if anything, portrays just as strong!

SUMMARY

I am thoroughly pleased that I decided to take Charles Jeffrey forward with me to this stage as it has solidified my decision making in that I want to finalise his brand as one of my campaign collaborators. I appreciate how Charles is cognisant of today’s generations and isn’t afraid to be challenging in his concepts. I feel this will resonate highly with my consumer of Generation Alpha who respect the innovative and unconventional in brand communication. Generation Alpha value representation and community; elements LOVERBOY thrives on considerably too, proving he is a more than suitable fit as collaborator 1.

Fashion activism and Punk remain a solid theme in my findings and LOVERBOY presents these in a contemporary and conceptual approach, which adapts well to my current choice of market- luxury through a conceptual lens, therefore these will be coming into my final concept as contextualisation alongside Charles Jeffrey.

In the conclusion of Turning Back Time, I voiced my interest in researching into Maison Margiela and its Creative Director, John Galliano further as I was enthralled by the Co-Ed 23 collection which exhibited Punk in a technical and modernised frame. In my next book I will be gauging into their backgrounds to delineate if either of these contributors could coincide with Charles Jeffrey for my final Brand Management stages.

UP NEXT: MERGING THE ELITE WITH THE EMERGING (JOHN GALLIANO)

JOURNEY BOOK 4

BRAND

J86800

JOURNEY BOOK 3