Models Andreea Diaconu and Simon Nessman are the picture of wedded bliss—in real life and on camera.
Cass Bird for WSJ. Magazine | Styling By Katelyn Gray
It wasn’t hard for real-life couple Andreea Diaconu and Simon Nessman to get into character for a shoot with Cass Bird depicting a romantic weekend getaway in East Hampton. In fact, Bird gets credit for setting the pair up in the first place, according to Diaconu. Though the two had first met back in 2008, it wasn’t until Bird asked to photograph them together for an ad campaign a few years ago that something more than friendship developed. “[Cass] booked us because she thought we’d have really good chemistry, but since we were both recently single, we had maybe too much chemistry,” remembers Diaconu. “It was so awkward that the client decided to not shoot any photos [of us] together.” Though the shoot didn’t exactly go as planned, Diaconu, who is Romanian, and Nessman, a native of British Columbia, bonded over their shared passion for coastal ecology and public health. They married in July 2020 and now live in Tofino, Canada. Meanwhile, Diaconu is pursuing a degree at New York’s Columbia University.
In this photo shoot, the duo’s relaxed attitudes shine through the clothing’s casual canvas. Stylist Katelyn Gray dressed the pair in dark colors, tailored suits and oversize sweaters from Prada, Louis Vuitton, The Row and Celine by Hedi Slimane, among others. “I have been wearing the same jeans and two sweaters for about three years now, so I would say I definitely [stepped] into a more polished character,” says Diaconu. —Natalia Barr