KESTIN’s AW26 campaign has been out in the wild for a few weeks now, but with autumn finally starting to feel like autumn, it’s worth another look. Not least because ‘The Hebrideans’ doubles as a handy refresher course in getting dressed for the colder months.
Shot on Islay, the collection takes its cues from the character and resourcefulness of the Hebridean people, with Whisky Galore! and the real-life 1941 wreck of the S.S. Politician providing the narrative backdrop. The latter famously saw thousands of cases of whisky wash up around the Outer Hebrides, where plenty of the cargo subsequently found its way into local hands.
It’s a suitably Scottish starting point for a brand that has always looked close to home for inspiration. KESTIN was founded by designer Kestin Hare in 2015, following a career that included four years at Nigel Cabourn and freelance work for the likes of Burberry and Margaret Howell. Based in Edinburgh, the label has spent the past decade developing its own take on modern Scottish menswear, mixing traditional fabrics and references with workwear, military, outdoor and sportswear influences.
That combination is particularly effective in AW26. The campaign is full of the sort of heavy, tactile fabrics that make autumn dressing interesting: Shetland wool, corduroy, flannel, herringbone, tartan and Fair Isle, piled on top of one another rather than worn in isolation.
The power of layering
More importantly, it shows how to actually use them. Chunky knitwear sits beneath cropped outerwear, overshirts become mid-layers and fuller trousers give the heavier fabrics room to work. Pieces like the washed-denim Barra Overshirt, peat corduroy Huntly Jacket and Doune Pant make a convincing case for mixing texture without making an outfit feel busy, while rust orange, fern green, peat brown and deep navy demonstrate how much colour you can introduce without making things feel messy.
It’s a useful reminder that good autumn dressing rarely hinges on one statement piece. It’s about getting the layers, proportions, colours and fabrics talking to one another. And if your own wardrobe is currently struggling to remember how to do that after several months of T-shirts and shorts, KESTIN’s latest lookbook is a pretty good place to start.
