There is no singular shape to love. It stretches, folds, and bends—tender like a whisper, bold like a brushstroke, always shifting, always alive. In the quiet glow of the lens, it manifests here, embodied by eight duos whose lives are entwined in creation, devotion, and the quiet magic of being seen.
Photographed by Jake Terrey, with fashion curated by Thomas Townsend, this year’s RUSSH Love supplement is an ode to intimacy in all its forms. It is the artist’s hand resting on a lover’s shoulder mid-thought. The shared breath before a laugh. The way eyes soften when speaking of the other. Love exists in these moments, unguarded and real.
From the kinetic energy of Salvatore Aljaidi and Lorenzo Maioli to the knowing ease of Sean Brady and Zoran Jevtic, every frame captures the delicate interplay between passion and presence. Marlo Hsieh and Jarvis Aivali move in sync, an unspoken rhythm. Tilly Lawless and Janet Anderson remind us that love is radical, defiant, and deeply tender all at once. Judith Leclerc and Sam Armstrong paint their devotion in broad, expressive strokes, while Archer Rose and Zachary Ryland exist in a world entirely their own. Nina Treffkorn and Edward Woodley exude the kind of intimacy built over time, soft and assured, while Melissa Neufeldt and Tehillaw Wijangco bring an electric charge, a romance brimming with infinite possibility.
Here, love is expansive. It is not contained by words or definitions. It is the touch of a hand, the exchange of a glance, the echo of a name murmured into the night. It is, above all, real. And what a privilege it is to witness.
Experience the Retreat issue in its entirety this March, available on newsstands from Thursday 6 March 2025, and through our online shop. Find a stockist near you.
