London knit wit Charles Jeffrey made his Paris debut at Dover Street Market with a live show inspired by Victorian fin de siècle style, and the wild cabaret shows of Weimar Berlin.
It was a departure for Jeffrey, but not because of the new city, or the spicy performance staged in partnership with Pornhub.
The designer said it was the first collection created entirely from sketches. “I drew for a week, creating the ‘ugly sister’ to the season that came before. It has a dirge-y feeling to it,” said Jeffrey, who was decked for the evening in tall heels, tall hair and a jacket with banana-like epaulets.
The collection was big on knits, which make up most of the Loverboy sales. They came as long v-neck cardigans stretching nearly to the knees and featuring giant buttons. Some were short with hoods that sprouted floppy ears, while others were bright pink and green, like a watermelon, nodding to a tropical theme running through the collection.
It wasn’t just Jeffrey who was decked in bananas. One model wore a yellow boucle zippered cardigan with a layered, peel-inspired collar, while other models carried bags or wore hats shaped like the fruit’s skin.
This season the designer ventured beyond his signature military-style berets, and sent out chunky knitted caps in bright colors, some with ears, others with devil’s horns, a nod to Vivienne Westwood, mother of punk, who used to wear little gold horns perched on a delicate headband.
Jeffrey also introduced crocheted pieces, including Mallard-shaped handbags, shoppers in the color of the French flag, and a saucy, fringed corset dress worn by one of the Pornhub brand ambassadors during Saturday night’s show.
The performance added a lovely dash of British disobedience – and humor – to this most bourgeois of cities, and that was one of the aims. “Fashion should grip you – and leave a smile on your face,” said Jeffrey.
