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.