Learning In conversation
An evening with Stephen Jones hosted by Charles Jeffrey Loverboy
Join celebrated milliner Stephen Jones in conversation with fashion designer Charles Jeffrey Loverboy at the Design Museum.
What to expect
Millinery legend Stephen Jones burst on to the London fashion scene during its explosion of street style in the late 70s. By day, he was a student at Central Saint Martins; after dark he was one of that era's uncompromising style-blazers at the legendary Blitz nightclub – always crowned with a striking hat of his own idiosyncratic design. Ever at the forefront of fashion, his beguiling hats routinely grace the most celebrated magazine covers and enliven window displays of the world's most stylish stores.
In this special conversation, chaired by fashion designer Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Stephen Jones unpacks his star-spangled career and iconic designs. From working with Boy George and Diana, Princess of Wales, to his current celebrity clientele including Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Mick Jagger, and the Princesses.
Like Jones, Jeffrey emerged from Central Saint Martins with a flair for theatricality, subculture, and club culture, using performance and spectacle to fuel his boundary-pushing designs. Their shared roots in London nightlife highlight how creativity born in those spaces continues to ripple through fashion today.
As the Design Museum presents the exhibition Blitz: the club that shaped the 80s, Jones will explore what made the Blitz Club scene such a creative hub, and where that influence plays out in Jones’s work today.
This conversation is part of an ongoing series with leading contemporary designers, makers, thinkers and creatives.
Stephen Jones Millinery SS25, The Curve, Photos by Paul Bryan
Speakers
Stephen Jones
After studying at Central Saint Martins, Stephen opened his first millinery salon in 1980, in the heart of London's Covent Garden. His career has spanned over 40 years, in which he has consistently been at the forefront of fashion – from runways to race-courses, and from pop-promos to royal garden parties. Visit @stephenjonesmillinery
Charles Jeffrey Loverboy
Charles Jeffrey, Creative Director of Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, continues to build on his stellar start in the fashion industry, taking on new challenges year on year. From humble beginnings in Charles’ East London bedroom, LOVERBOY is now an international fashion powerhouse, carried in over 90 stores worldwide. Drawn to inherent magic in queerness, Charles and his collaborators create fashion dreamscapes, adding new layers to the brands story with each passing season and creative output.
Book online
Booking information
Adult: £20
Student/Concession: £16
Members*: £15
*Please note that this benefit only applies one individual cardholding Member’s ticket and not those of additional guests.
• This event is for adults 18+
• Do you require BSL interpretation? Please note that your ticket must be purchased at least 1 month before the event to request a BSL interpreter. We won't be able to provide a BSL interpreter if the ticket is purchased less than a month before the event.
Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Visit our terms & conditions page for further information.
What's on
All images Courtesy of Stephen Jones. Millinery SS25 The Curve. Carousel images: Photos by Paul Bryan. Stephen Jones' portrait by Francisco Chagas.