Australian denim brand Rolla’s Jeans unveiled a new campaign today with Danish supermodel and photographer Helena Christensen.
“Helena is an original style icon for Rolla’s and has shown up on many of our mood boards over the years. Her natural beauty and relaxed kind of glamour make everything from a ballgown to jeans look stylish yet relatable—there is a Helena mood for every look,” said Sarah Gilsenan, Rolla’s head of women’s design and creative.
Rich Bell, Rolla’s co-founder and marketing director, said the campaign is one of Rolla’s largest to date. In addition to being shared digitally and across social media, it will include street posters in New York City and a billboard in Times Square.
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“We’ve had incredible collaborations in the past, including campaigns led by Sofia Richie and Phoebe Tonkin, but working with fashion royalty like Helena Christensen feels like a major moment for Rolla’s. It’s a nod to our brand’s heritage and evolution, solidifying our place in the denim world while staying true to our roots,” Bell said.
Rolla’s Gigi Barrel jean, now available in the new Helena Rinse, a deep, chic wash, is a focal point for the campaign. “It’s an ode to that perfect model-off-duty denim that never goes out of style,” Bell said.
Gilsenan added that barrel trend is one of the strongest she has seen in recent years. “I think it’s the combination of it’s modern, new look combined with it’s ease of wear—it’s an effective way to update your wardrobe with just one item,” she said.
The collection is available now for purchase globally, both online and in-store across Rolla’s channels and boutiques.
Christensen took a hands-on approach to the campaign. “I love Australian clothing brands, and I like denim as well. So absolutely, I was up for it,” she said about the partnership with Rolla’s.
Photographed by Kat Irling, the campaign is one of Christensen’s most personal shoots to date, blending her aesthetic and creative vision with Rolla’s signature style. “I had a pretty nice part in making it all come together, in the sense that we collaborated on who do we want to have as a photographer to shoot the campaign, what kind of vibe in the shoot, styling wise, location wise. It felt like the whole team worked together toward the result,” she said.
The campaign also highlights Christensen’s creative partnership with her best friend and stylist, Camilla Staerk. Over the years, the duo has worked together on look books, personal projects, and now this campaign for Rolla’s. Together, incorporating pieces from their own brand, STÆRK&CHRISTENSEN, they created looks true to Christensen’s personal aesthetic.
“It’s always nice to work with a team that you know and can have fun with and laugh with throughout the day. And most of the team ended up being people that I know very well. To have that kind of intimacy on a shoot day kind of changes the vibe and the familiarity of knowing people makes it feels like you’re hanging out, having fun and creating together more than anything,” she said.
Christensen is still finding her denim style. While oversized jeans fills her closet, Christensen said she can appreciate a ’70s A-line denim skirt or a short denim skirt styled with an oversized sweatshirt.
“I spent my teen years and twenties wearing long vintage dresses, ball gowns, and everything secondhand. But then, I discovered denim, and it was like a whole new world opened up,” she said. “Denim is such an amazing fabric—it’s durable, versatile, and you can style it in so many ways.”
Here, Christensen shares how her love for denim developed and why jeans are a part of the off-duty model look.
Which jeans in your closet are getting the most wear?
Christensen: I was a very late denim bloomer. I didn’t really start wearing jeans until my 30s, which is funny to think about now, like, how did I even live without wearing jeans for all those years? But I just had a different kind of style growing up, and jeans were not part of that at all. Then, suddenly, I discovered vintage jeans, and, well, I got obsessed with them. That is mostly what I have in my jeans collection—vintage or secondhand jeans that are lived in, already washed, already worn.
That’s the great thing about [denim], it really kind of grows with you. It evolves with you. It really tells a story. When you’ve had a pair for many, many years, it tells your story. I mean, that’s what I think is so magical about denim fabric.
My favorite styles for jeans are oversized and baggy, sort of slouchy. I really like to buy men’s pants. Most of the pants I buy are either oversized women’s pants or men’s pants. I just like the cut of men’s clothing in general—the straighter lines, not too restricting. The way men’s clothing is cut falls nicely on a female body. Having said that, I do also love high waisted jeans that sit beautifully around your waist and hip and then long straight legs.
How do you like to style denim?
Christensen: That’s the good thing about jeans—they can be completely dressed up or down. If I’m wearing the baggy ones, I love wearing very small, tight tops and vintage sweaters, which I’m also very big on. I like that balance of a wide bottom and a fitted top. With the high waisted straight leg jeans, I really love pairing it with shirts. And if it’s cold, then a vest on top. I really love that look. And if you want to make it a little more elegant, I like a slim gold belt. I like finding old, sort of antique belts with beautiful, almost jewelry-like buckles. And that looks amazing on a pair of high waisted jeans. Add a very thin belt with a beautiful buckle and a little delicate shirt, a nice pair of high heels and a red lip, and you’re good to go.
What is your first denim memory?
Christensen: Since it’s not that long ago since I started so late in life wearing jeans, I would say my first denim memory was in a vintage store in L.A. and it was one of those stores where literally the walls are covered in in vintage jeans. And I felt so overwhelmed because where do you even know how to start? Like there are so many different styles of jeans. And that also fascinates me, how one piece of clothing can have that many different styles and expressions to it—the wash, the color, the shape, the length, the waist, low slung, high waist, straight leg, wide leg. I mean, it’s insane.
And so, it was one of those stores where I just stuck my arm into the pile and pulled out a pair. And that was the pair. That was literally how I found my first pair of jeans. I put them on, and they fit. They have that lived in feeling and a softness to the just sits right on your body.
Do you have any denim tips?
Christensen: I always buy oversized and then I wash them until they get softer. And sometimes I put white T-shirts or bras or underwear in with the jeans, because I know they’ll give off a little color. Then I get very faded blue pieces back.
Why do you think jeans are a staple in the off-duty model look?
Christensen: Jean are universal and they’re part of everyone’s wardrobe. And the amazing thing about jeans is how they started as utility wear, because they are so sturdy, and they feel like they stay clean for a long time. So, it makes sense that they are worn in any type of work-related environment. Being backstage as a model, you’re sitting a lot on the floors for hours, and jeans are perfect for that. They’re comfortable and they won’t show dirt like a dress or pair of light pants might. There’s a practical element.
And when you when you’re working as a model, you’re wearing so many different outfits every single day. It’s nice to have something that’s very basic and almost neutral to put on in between. Jeans are very good clothing palette cleanser.
