While dating in 2019 is essentially like wading through a quagmire of unsolicited dick pics, fuckboy DM slides, and the ghosts of Tinder past, surprisingly there’s still a handful of people who believe that true love does in fact exist. 

One of these rare individuals is Sophie Hardeman, the (highly optimistic) founder of cult denim label Hardeman, whose AW19 collection takes its cues from love in all its many facets. From teen crushes and burgeoning sexuality, right through to the love shared between friends, self-love, and the kind of relationships that exist outside of the heteronormative, monogamous box, HARD LOVE offers up a new set of what she calls ‘date-night staples’, made up of tactile, fluffy sweaters, slashed-and-spliced denim, and ‘SEX’-emblazoned vests and slips. 

But it’s not just a collection the Amsterdam-based designer has created for all the lovers out there – Hardeman went one step further. Taking it upon herself to throw a speed dating night at Los Angeles’ Ace Hotel to launch the line, she invited both the diverse cast of the campaign and members of the public to get involved in the activity, hoping to not only hook the Californian city’s residents up with some new lewks, but also to help them hook up in general. 

Seemingly, it worked: “One of the couples actually ended up dating and are still seeing each other after the show, and three of the guys ended up together in the pool that night,” she confirms, laughing. “But most importantly, lots of the participants and show viewers are now hanging out and going to each other’s birthday parties and things, so who knows how this will further evolve?” 

Next up is a similarly themed London event, taking place at concept store 50m on July 25, at which she hopes the city's residents might also find love, friendship, lust – or pretty much anything in-between. 

Check out the gallery above.