Charles Jeffrey and Christopher Kane have a lot in common. They both grew up near Hamilton, Scotland; they both moved to London at the age of 17; they both went to Central Saint Martins; they’re both Leos. They also both launched eponymous independent brands, just under a decade apart — and they have a lot of thoughts on what it takes to scale as an indie label in Britain.
Ahead of each of his shows, Jeffrey — who founded his label, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, in 2014 — has made a habit of calling up an industry friend to share opinions, advice, and to just have a chat. When he joins the call with Kane and I from a workshop, his hands are covered in paint: Jeffrey has been painting huge murals for his Fall/Winter 2026 show, which takes place on Saturday, January 24, during Paris Fashion Week Men’s. Kane — who founded his label in 2006 and became one of the defining British designers of the 2010s — is dialing in from London, having a much calmer (and less paint-filled) evening, after stepping away from the traditional runway calendar in 2022, despite remaining active in the industry.
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We spoke about growing up in Scotland (including yours truly), improving access for working-class creatives, and why young designers should be allowed to fail.
Below is an edited version of that conversation.
Vogue: How long have you guys known each other?
Charles: I’ve got a funny story. I did work experience in high school at a modeling agency called Model Team Scotland — I must have been about 15 or something. I was saying to a guy I worked with, Scotty, how much I loved Christopher Kane, and he was like, ‘I was just speaking to Christopher Kane [about] models — I’ve got his number.’ I was like, ‘Shut up!’ So Scotty went out for a lunch break and I went to his computer and got your number, Christopher, and I texted saying, ‘Hi Debbie, I’m going to pick up the car keys later.’ You replied saying, ‘Who’s this? This isn’t Debbie, this is Christopher Kane.’ I actually had an out-of-body experience. Then, I texted back like, ‘Oh my God, Christopher, I love your work so much.’ I’m pretty sure you blocked me after that.
Christopher: I mean, I’ve done worse things. Why Deborah though? I love that Scottish people are always in your face.
