The work of Charles Jeffrey came to our attention at his graduate show for Central Saint Martins, where the young designer showed cream Aran knits interrupted with bursts of violent, primary colours, painters’ jeans stiff with layers of spilled and blended pigments and an innovatively sliding sense of proportion provided by a creative use of loose belting. The London-based, Glaswegian-born night owl is also the driving force behind LOVERBOY. He told us more about this event and his designs when Dapper Dan had the pleasure of interviewing him.
MATTHEW HICKS: What is LOVERBOY?
CHARLES JEFFREY: LOVERBOY is a monthly gathering at Vogue Fabrics Dalston and everyone is welcome!
MH: Tell me about the photoshoot before the party. How do you organise it? Where do the themes come from?
CJ: Generally I organise them through Facebook or by word of mouth. I tend to work with friends or photograph people myself. Themes are always of the moment: I never like to pin them down too much. I like the concept of availabalism and reacting to what people bring me there and then.
MH: What’s the look at LOVERBOY?
CJ: The people that come to LOVERBOY really make an effort and all have their own unique voice. I find myself constantly complimenting people or screaming how fabulous they look. My friend Gareth of ebae.com likes to make cute pop culture outfits, like a two-piece outfit made of Hermione Granger’s face or a shirt covered in Anna Kendrick. Then we have people like Jenkin, who is a constant force of nature with devil horns and armour, and Kevin Bailor who is a party monster dream!
MH: What else is happening in London that we should know about?
CJ: Loads of amazing creative people put on nights in London! My favourites are the PDA party with Mischa Mafia from NTS radio and our sister night, Straight Nasty.
MH: Moving on to your designs, can you tell us more about the layered knits you showed in your last collection? How did you achieved that colour-panel-layered- over-chunky-knit effect?
CJ: The panels of colour are made by mosaics of electric tape and they are inserted into felted knit jumpers which are then knitted with string.
MH: And the painted fabrics— how did you achieve that effect?
CJ: The painted denim is achieved by me going a little bit mental in my bedroom with various bottles of poster paint, loud music and tape to keep the paint from bleeding onto the back of the jeans.
MH: Do you think there are any design tropes that have lingered too long in menswear? Any shapes, styles or effects that have overstayed their welcome?
CJ: It depends on how you look at it. I think it depends on how you carry yourself—I like people who push a look or a theme and stick with it, then change it only when they want to!
MH: Can you explain what a Ned is and how they influenced your Central Saint Martins graduate show collection?
CJ: Oh, that collection! A Ned is a young, angry, sportswear-clad person. They influenced me by being the complete opposite of what I am/stand for.
MH: You’ve worked with both Dior and a high street label. Do you think creative, engaging and qualitative work can be produced by more mass-market brands?
CJ: Of course! It depends on the team you surround yourself with and the way you communicate your universe.
MH: Where, if at all, does one see strands of a particularly Scottish sensibility in your work?
CJ: Knitwear, colour, fabrics, positivity, togetherness.
MH: You grew up in Glasgow. How would you fill in the blanks in this sentence: “If you’re _________ then you should visit Glasgow because _________ .”
CJ: If you’re STEAMIN then you should visit Glasgow because THE BOOZE IS CHEAPER THAN LONDON.
Originally published in Dapper Dan magazine 12, 2015.