Distinct talents in the world of fashion, Gareth and Charles share an authenticity and radical approach to design that has seen them elevated to cult status. With a cross disciplinary approach to collaboration, they have collectively worked across opera, dance, underground club nights and virtual reality, redefining the way we understand how fashion is made and the stories it can tell.
Gareth’s residency at Somerset House Studios is partly focused on helping the Studios to identify and support emerging fashion talent, and through this relationship, Charles Jeffrey and his LOVERBOY team joined the artistic community. From outlandish clubwear to redefining modern luxury, this evening is a rare occasion to hear them explore common ground and departure with North: Fashioning Identity curator, Lou Stoppard.
North: Fashioning Identity shares many common themes with the evening’s conversation, features Gareth Pugh as an exhibitor, and shows at Somerset House until 04 February 2018.
Biographies
Educated at London’s Central Saint Martins, Gareth Pugh’s clothes have been described as wearable sculptures – experimental forms, volumes and fabrics are all signature to his aesthetic. The designer made his London Fashion Week debut in 2005 and over the past decade has dressed some of the most popular artists of our time, including Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.
26 year old Charles Jeffery has been hailed by Dazed as ‘the ringleader of London’s next generation of club kids.’ His brand Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY encompasses a fashion label and a cult club night, each informing the other. The LOVERBOY night forms the primary research for Jeffrey’s collections, with his tribe of friends and creative collaborators - artists, performers, musicians, drag queens and poets - contributing to the egalitarian spirit of the brand.
Lou Stoppard is SHOWstudio’s Editor and a freelance writer, curator and broadcaster, and curator of North, an exhibition running at Somerset House until 4 Feb 2018. She is a Contributing Editor at GQ and writes regularly for titles including Vogue, ELLE and The Financial Times.