Colour block, tartans and psychedelic prints: Charles Jeffrey and Bradley Sharpe open a portal to enlightenment
This season, through a three-stepped ritual, the two Central Saint Martins alum showed us a light at the end of the tunnel.
DESIGNER: CHARLES JEFFREY LOVERBOY and BRADLEY SHARPE
SEASON: Spring/Summer 2022
EVENT: London Fashion Week
LOCATION: Electrowerkz, London
If there’s ever a fashion show that’s always about fun, spectacle and community, it’s Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY. The designer has managed to create an impressive community of fashion fanatics in London that revolves around Scottish traditions, the capital’s nightclub life and his non-conformist views on genderism.
For SS22, after a pandemic that forced a change in his underground runway shows, the designer is back with an otherworldly experience that not even the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan – standing front row – could miss. Inspired by enlightenment, Jeffrey has shown us the light at the end of the tunnel; a light we can only reach after going through three different portals.
Representing the importance of balance in one’s life, The Harbinger, the first portal, introduced us to the world of Bradley Sharpe, Charles Jeffrey’s friend and fellow CSM alum. He was offered the stage as a platform to present his first collection after graduating from the college last year at the peak of the pandemic’s first wave. It was an array of voluminous gowns, mostly in black, that looked at the satirical perception of women in the 18th Century. The star of the night? An eye-catching, crinoline-structured metallic skirt combined with a hooded raincoat-style jacket in the same fabric.
After that first realisation, we entered the secret chamber where The Ritual, the second portal, was opened. This time, we were spoiled with dazzling colour-block prints in geometric shapes, tartans that honour LOVERBOY’s Scottish heritage and messy, psychedelic knitwear that matched the energy of London’s nightclub scene. To add even more spice to that extravagant feast, heads were adorned with spiky hairstyles, baker boy caps and even a headpiece of melted wax from its lit candles. Simply unforgettable.
Last but by no means least, it was time for The Awakening, the last stage of this tumultuous journey. In true Charles Jeffrey style, the big finale exemplified acceptance and release through a long-awaited party, hosted by trans+ talent agency WIMP, “the home of creative queer talent who exist outside of the rigid binary structures of gender.”
Through such a performative show, Charles provided his community with what they needed. Again. Some people say he speaks to today’s youth the same way Alexander McQueen spoke to his generation. We can’t decide whether they’re right or not, but the truth is LOVERBOY’s SS22 was a highly appreciated bonding experience full of fashion, generosity and, most importantly, fun.
Images by Heather Glazzard for Dazed Digital.
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