Finding intimacy in the shared wardrobe with JW Anderson’s latest camp

Fashion campaigns have always relied on chemistry. Whether it’s the concord between components of a look, or the interplay between subjects, nothing is more legitimate than genuine connection. Jonathan Anderson knows this better than most; in 2011, he painted the image of a boy and a girl escaping the orthodox to tour America, sharing equal parts clothing and drugs along the ride, for his Spring/Summer collection. At the centre of their little rubble was the expanded notion of a shared wardrobe - clothes that pass between two people, lovers or friends, borrowed and swapped and worn. For Anderson, there’s something inherently intimate about it; clothes are personal by nature, and it’s an everyday act of affection handcrafted into sharing a fraction of yourself. For its latest Twisted Denim campaign, his eponymous brand has brought together model and actress Dree Hemingway and her partner, Nick Delli Santi, for the very first time behind the camera. The result is intimate, it’s playful, and, most importantly, it captures the palpable familiarity of lovers utterly at ease. There’s romance, but it’s not spun too sugary for the bite of lust; that hint of humour lingers behind an easy intimacy that comes from being completely comfortable with someone. It’s all a rather fitting continuation of Jonathan’s knack for clothing as applied to relationship dynamics. And, of course, there’s plenty of stunning denim.

It wouldn’t be JW Anderson without the overhaul. The front is quite literally twisted, with the leg seams following the shape to create an off-kilter, sculptural silhouette. It’s interesting, with maintained movement - a fact the campaign is ever the exhibitionist for. The jeans are made from quality Japanese cotton and crafted by expert denim makers in Japan, the details never falling amiss. There’s a ‘Made in Japan’ printed pocket bag, a large leather JW Anderson logo patch, metal shank buttons, and orange binding. That balance of intimacy and driven sex appeal feels very JW Anderson. The clothes are distinctive, the images are playful, and neither takes itself quite so seriously. Fifteen years after Anderson imagined a boy and girl falling in love and running away together, it seems that particular story is still somewhere in there. This time, there are two pairs of twisted jeans and just a little more chemistry - and fewer drugs, because there’s a lot more you can do in those jeans.