Defying all expectations, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY‘s Fall/Winter 2023 collection, “The Engine Room,” creates a striking blend of flamboyantly patterned and precisely tailored clothing. Showcased on the Milan Fashion Week runway earlier this year, this collection is a riotous celebration of bold colors, punk patterns, and psychedelic textiles.
Unconventional Elements Ignite Traditional Designs
The AW23 collection brings an intriguing mix of newspaper prints across tailored button-down shirts, mini skirts, and two-piece sets, comprised of durable jackets and trousers. Evocative paintings enfold tuxedos and kilts, accompanying the decadently tiered chocolate leather dresses that mirror ornate cupcakes. Bold t-shirts proclaiming, “Confirmed: Earth Is Lame” encapsulate the overarching punk ethos of the collection.
From Theatrics to Comfort
In contrast to the collection’s more theatrical elements, LOVERBOY also infuses a sense of coziness with oversized sweaters, playful ear beanies, balaclavas, and mohair gloves. Silk dresses held together by buckle halter necklines, asymmetric skirts, and argyle sweaters with distressed yarn showcase Jeffrey’s expertise in tailoring.
Influences and Inspiration
“The collection has a ’50s feel to it with [the influences] of John Byrne and teddy boys, and there’s also traditional maximalism,” Jeffrey shared backstage at the January show. Describing the designs as “fierce, nuclear tartans, almost so wrong that they’re right,” he outlined the shift in primary colors to cobalt, orange, and gold, and the use of Byrne’s paintings as prints themselves.
The first installment of Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY’s AW23 collection is now available for purchase on the brand’s webstore, with prices ranging from $39 USD to $795 USD. For a closer look at this captivating range, check out the gallery above.
Creative Director: @mrcharlesjeffrey
Photographer: @olikearon
Stylist: @benkschofield
Make-up Artist: @_kunomari
Hair Stylist: @cmstanley13
Models: @kesnie_raymond @milkmodelmanagement, Issac @menacemodelmanagement
Shoot Coordinator: @sethfootring
Shoot Assistant: @roxywittrick, @joe.brim