Jemima Kirke and Her Boyfriend Play Dress-Up at Home

“I don’t think I’ve ever wasted a frame of film shooting Jemima,” says photographer Alex Cameron of his girlfriend, the actress and artist Jemima Kirke. “Even the ones I expose incorrectly, or the ones that are out of focus. That’s the kind of person Jemima is.”

Of course, Cameron is a little bit biased. But if you’ve ever watched Kirke on screen (she made her debut in Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture, and would later go on to star in Girls), then you know that there really is something alluring about her — and not just her slight accent, which sounds almost made-up. She’s got a natural beauty and a personal style that actually looks personal, as opposed to being plucked from a rack by a stylist.

One of Kirke’s favorite designers is Rosie Assoulin, who she called up this summer to ask if she could play dress up with her colorful, kooky, and elegant resort 2019 collection. The two have been friends for years, so Assoulin was happy to collaborate. Cameron photographed it using Polaroid film, and Kirke’s young daughter also joined in to try on Assoulin’s “Boobie Trap” dress.

“Rosie’s clothes seem to be drawn to the person wearing them, and not the other way around,” said Kirke. “We also find that they have a strong effect on each environment they’re placed in. The walls, the couch, the kettle, everything becomes purposeful and curated. The clothes allow room for the colors and shapes around them.”

“I relate to her passion, curiosity, and rebellious side,” said Assoulin of her friend. “But I do it through design while she does it through her art and performance.”

Clearly, Kirke and her boyfriend aren’t the only ones in the room with a strong connection. Below, see an exclusive selection of the Polaroid images Cameron and Kirke took in their neighborhood in the Rockaways, and in Kirke’s mom’s home in upstate New York.