Mad About the Boy: a London College of Fashion exhibition on teenage boys and fashion

Teenage boys appear to be a never-ending source of inspiration for fashion designers and photographers alike, which is why the London College of Fashion (LCF) decided to create an exhibition paying homage to their appeal named: “Mad About the Boy”: an assembly of work from fashion designers and artists whose work was inspired by teenage boys and youth culture. The exhibition is set to open on January 8 2016 and features objects from the 1980s and 1990s from a variety of designers and artists, including Raf Simons, JW Anderson and Kim Jones.

“The fluidity and possibility of the teenage years seems to unite fashion´s obsession with the boy: sparked, perhaps by a strange belief in the precious genius of youth - of a time of perceived infinite opportunity, spontaneity and creative freedom,” says ShowTime editor Lou Stoppard, who curated the exhibition, in an interview with Dazed & Confused magazine. Stoppard, who graduated with a MA in Fashion Journalism from the University of the Arts London (UAL) in 2011, said she was struck by how many creatives she interviewed for ShowStudio expressed nostalgia for their youth. This made her question how this nostalgia is translated into their own work.

According to Stoppard, “Mad About the Boy” is not so much about how young men dress themselves but more about how the fashion industry visualizes them. The exhibition is divided into themes that appear to regularly function as an inspiration for designers: the boy as an outsider, the boy as sexual being, the boy in the club, the boy in education. The curator believes that the exhibition will be thought-provoking as it aims to lead to questions on why youth is portrayed in particular ways. “I think the objects and images really speak for themselves and cannot help but spark conversation,” said Stoppard.

Visiting ”Mad About the Boy” at the Fashion Space Gallery is free of charge. In total, fourteen designers and artists contributed. The exhibition is set to run until April 2 2016.

Image credit: Meadham Kirchhoff SS13 via Fashion Space Gallery