This season, the young boys from Lord of the Flies and Peter Pan came to life as the ‘Darling Little Sillies’ in Charles Jeffrey Loverboy’s Fall 2019 menswear presentation. Held inside an abandoned warehouse, the decrepit space was the setting for a theatrical performance of Jeffrey’s tribe of ‘Lost Boys’ prancing among fallen chandeliers and frolicking inside a giant bathtub filled with torn pages from a book. An air of gay innocence surrounded the merrymaking scene as models wearing metallic miniskirts, fishnet stockings, and knee-high socks wandered around in fuzzy hoodies with teddy bear ears. In one look, a model donned a crimson red, bias cut dress with fraying edges; a dramatic reference to Captain Hook.
His signature red, yellow, and blue tartans came in everything from tailored slim-fit suits, to a mohair overcoat with silver chain trim. Jeffrey even snuck in an homage to his homeland, Scotland with kilts and a stuffed toy fox stole. Each of the decadent looks were paired with millinery by Leo Cartlon and up-cycled accessories from Luke V Smith. Although the show was more of a theatrical performance than a fashion show, Jeffrey also sprinkled in more wearable pieces including a teal leather plissé skirt with a matching oversized biker jacket, tulle dresses adorned in crustacean embroideries and a tweed coatdress. Feminine in cut and appearance, Jeffrey’s bold and highly provocative clothes continue to dispel existing menswear codes.
The collection speaks to the queer culture that is characteristic of Jeffrey’s shows. The designer has created a world where there’s only genderless people, with no prejudice at all, with no homophobia, no ageism, no misogynist, only creative people and thinkers who believe in love. In his show notes, Charles Jeffrey stated, “one thinks of policies being proposed in America against the trans community, or U.K. policies to further disadvantage the disabled.” “I wanted to paint a picture of all the people I hold dear,” he said. His championing of the queer community—and the many friends who collaborated with him in this show—now has a very definite intent.
See All the Looks from the Collection
