{"id":151292,"date":"2020-03-19T00:01:29","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T06:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/?p=151292"},"modified":"2020-03-18T22:36:23","modified_gmt":"2020-03-19T04:36:23","slug":"coming-full-circle-conversation-kestin-hare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2020\/03\/coming-full-circle-conversation-kestin-hare\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Full Circle &#8211; In Conversation With Kestin Hare"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">The menswear world is built on those who have dedicated their lives to their craft and perfected their skills, often over a prolonged period of time. In addition, you will often find that alongside these lifelong pursuits, those who have stood the test of time in menswear have known little else. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">One such many who fits the above profile is Kestin Hare. Now leading his namesake brand <strong>Kestin<\/strong> through the menswear maze, Kestin is no stranger to this world. From working in retail at a young age to studying fashion and becoming Head Menswear Designer at heritage heavyweight <a href=\"\/tag\/nigel-cabourn\"><strong>Nigel Cabourn<\/strong><\/a>, Kestin\u2019s humble beginnings and hard work have led him to a place where he is able to enjoy what he loves. <\/span><\/p><div class=\"related_posts evergreen_funnels\"><h3>Like this? Read these:<\/h3><div class=\"flex space-x-4\"><div class=\"related_post w-1\/2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2019\/10\/soortys-executive-director-ebru-debbag-talks-sustainability-interview\/\"><img width=\"360\" height=\"225\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/soorty-sponsored-ebru-debbag-360x225.jpg\" class=\"left wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><noscript><img width=\"360\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/soorty-sponsored-ebru-debbag-360x225.jpg\" class=\"left wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/noscript><h4>Soorty&#8217;s Executive Director Ebru Debba\u011f Talks Sustainability &#8211; Interview<\/h4><\/a><\/div><div class=\"related_post w-1\/2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2020\/09\/truth-mass-market-denim-environment-non-selvedge-jeans\/\"><img width=\"360\" height=\"225\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/the-my-truth-about-mass-market-denim-the-environment-and-non-selvedge-jeans-360x225.jpg\" class=\"left wp-post-image\" alt=\"The-(My)-Truth-About-Mass-Market-Denim,-the-Environment,-and-Non-Selvedge-Jeans\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><noscript><img width=\"360\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/the-my-truth-about-mass-market-denim-the-environment-and-non-selvedge-jeans-360x225.jpg\" class=\"left wp-post-image\" alt=\"The-(My)-Truth-About-Mass-Market-Denim,-the-Environment,-and-Non-Selvedge-Jeans\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/noscript><h4>The (My) Truth About Mass Market Denim, the Environment, and Non-Selvedge Jeans<\/h4><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">From visiting factories and selecting fabrics to arduously researching each season&#8217;s concept and gathering inspiration, Kestin Hare is in his element. Growing up in East Lothian and citing his grandfather Bill Hare (a spitfire pilot and pub landlord) as his earliest style inspiration, Kestin is grounded, humble, and present.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">We recently sat down with the man himself to talk about everything from his childhood and transition into fashion, to his time with one of the biggest British menswear designers and how things have a way of coming full circle.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151636\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151636\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151636\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151636\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image via Kestin<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Heddels (H):\u00a0 <\/b>What are some of your earliest memories growing up in East Lothian and around Edinburgh?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Kestin Hare (KH):<\/strong>\u00a0 My grandfather and my dad were both big influences on me\u2014being the only boy and having three sisters, you were always looking for some male support and had to stick together! My dad was an architect by trade and is an incredible drawer to this day, I can always picture him sat at an architect\u2019s table with his fine liners out and drawing. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">It was a huge influence on me, we were all encouraged to draw as much as possible and to be creative. My mum was an interior designer, so we had these very creative parents and most holidays usually included getting the water coolers out and having a go at painting landscapes of wherever we were visiting.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151639\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151639\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151639\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-the-natural-environment-and-surroundings-of-scotland-have-long-been-an-inspiration-for-kestin-image-via-kestin.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle-The-natural-environment-and-surroundings-of-Scotland-have-long-been-an-inspiration-for-Kestin-(image-via-Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151639\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The natural environment and surroundings of Scotland have long been an inspiration for Kestin (image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> My Grandfather was an incredibly stylish and cool man\u2014I can remember most Sunday afternoons were spent sitting beside the fire with him telling me stories of when he was a Spitfire pilot during the war and was shot down over Rhodesia. He would bring out his old uniform and I was totally blown away. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Later on, I took a pattern from his old RAF jacket and it was one of the first garments I ever made. I can remember tracing a pattern and memorizing all the details; the construction inside the jacket and the various insignia. He used to drive a [Land Rover] Defender\u2014which made me want to get one\u2014and always had this dashing look. He was a stylish guy, but almost without knowing it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">We still go out to East Lothian on the weekends to get out of town or go to the beach\u2014I drove into Haddington in my Defender recently and stopped to go the local butchers. Pete, who runs the butchers, hadn\u2019t seen me for almost 25 years. As soon as I walked in the door he remarked, \u201cYou\u2019re Bill Hare\u2019s grandson\u2014you\u2019re just like him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151640\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151640\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-well-made-and-high-quality-knitwear-has-always-been-key-to-collections-for-kestin-image-via-kestin.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle-Well-made-and-high-quality-knitwear-has-always-been-key-to-collections-for-Kestin-(Image-via-Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151640\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Knitwear has always been key to collections for Kestin (Image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">I remember fly fishing with my grandfather and dad when I was younger. I still fish now and find it an amazing, relaxing experience to get away from everyday life and the distractions everything. Growing up in Scotland you either play golf or fish\u2014you get a rod of some kind!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">I also got into clubbing\u2014my best mate lived in Glasgow and Edinburgh didn\u2019t have much in the way of clubs, so I\u2019d go up there from the age of twelve. Later studying fashion at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle had a huge club scene which was spawned out of the Global Underground. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">There were some great clubs in North East of England at the time and it was great to be a part of that scene (quite distracting from studying). My best mate now owns what is fast-becoming one of the best clubs in Glasgow and it\u2019s amazing to reflect that we\u2019ve gone through all of our lives embracing these opportunities and experiences. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">I also worked at one of the best independent menswear stores in the North East as a \u2018Saturday Boy\u2019, at Strand in Newcastle. For its time it was an incredible retail experience with brands like Prada Sport, Neil Barrett, Maharishi and Miu Miu. Combined with studying at fashion college during that same period, provided great inspiration.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151641\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151641\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-male-image-via-kestin.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle-male-Image-via-Kestin\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151641\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image via Kestin<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>H:\u00a0 <\/b>You obviously knew you wanted to pursue fashion at that point\u2014was there a particular direction you wanted to head in?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>KH:<\/strong>\u00a0 I didn\u2019t really know what I wanted to do. At the time the options were really either applying to be an architect or an art teacher and naturally I was encouraged towards architecture (but I didn\u2019t get accepted). <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">My best mate who was involved in the club scene had a sister who was studying fashion at Northumbria, so we\u2019d go down to visit her in Newcastle and I\u2019d think \u2018wow this is cool.\u2019 It made me realize that maybe I could do this too, so I applied and got accepted. But in my first year I was too distracted by going out clubbing!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> I think you\u2019re always influenced heavily by the lecturers and people around you, those in a position of influence. I was fortunate enough to have a few lecturers that worked in industry and had started teaching\u2014I was really inspired by them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">The lecturer that taught me pattern cutting, her husband was head of design at vintage inspired brand <a href=\"\/tag\/nigel-cabourn\">Nigel Cabourn<\/a> (which was based in Newcastle). I was introduced to Gary (who is now head of design at Barbour) who brought me in and showed me the ropes. I\u2019d go up to The Windmill in Newcastle where Nigel was based at the time, to help out and cut patterns. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">That was what got me inspired by vintage clothing, as it was always around. Even though I\u2019d collected pieces beforehand, it wasn\u2019t until I met Nigel that it really cemented itself in terms of design inspiration. At the time, there were a few big vintage collectors in the world and Nigel was definitely one of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151643\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151643\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151643\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-part-of-the-kestin-flagship-store-in-leith-image-via-kestin.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle-Part-of-the-Kestin-flagship-store-in-Leith-(Image-via-Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151643\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Part of the Kestin flagship store in Leith (Image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">When I came back to work for him, the pieces that he was finding and the effort he was going to in order to source them was incredible. These were <i>rare <\/i>pieces\u2014Ursula submariner jackets, B7 sheepskin jackets\u2014pieces that people hadn\u2019t really seen before. Nigel would go to the ends of the earth to find and then recreate them in the original factories that made them (often using the original fabric and trimmings). That as a training for a young designer was incredible. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Back then we would design using Photoshop\u2014this was before we started to design using illustrator and it became the industry standard we now know. Nigel would have a vintage garment and I would photograph it in the studio and then (quite archaically) take one half of a jacket and stick it on top of another jacket. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">And that was the birth of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2019\/03\/nigel-cabourns-iconic-cameraman-jacket-now-packable\/\">Cameraman Jacket<\/a>. This was a huge influence on me as a designer and the way I work today\u2014it\u2019s not rocket science.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151644\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151644\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-the-neist-overshirt-has-become-a-kestin-classic-over-past-seasons-image-via-kestin.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle-The-Neist-overshirt-has-become-a-Kestin-classic-over-past-seasons-(Image-via-Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151644\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Neist overshirt has become a Kestin classic over past seasons (Image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">My degree at Northumberland was four years which include a one year placement. The Creative Director at <strong>Reiss<\/strong>\u2014Lionel Cockley\u2014had set a brief for our students and the winner would get a three month placement with the company. I won and it ended up being a twelve-month placement with the brand, which was a very different brand to what it is now. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">David Reiss is an amazing man and the brand was just finding its feet. It was a small team and David had been buying Italian collections to sell in his store on the King\u2019s Road in Chelsea. I think he felt he could do it better and decided to start his own brand under his namesake. It was my first real experience of working in a studio environment and I found myself fascinated by it all. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">I thought I\u2019m going to throw myself into this 100% and I was going to absorb every single bit of it. I remember David standing over me and I had to have a really steady hand when drawing (I guess that\u2019s where my dad\u2019s architecture came in). I felt like I\u2019d found my calling. I had a great time at Reiss; they ended up sponsoring my final degree show and offering me a job after graduation.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151645\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151645\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151645\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in06651.jpg\" alt=\"Even since his early days being around Nigel Cabourn, Kestin has always acknowledged the importance of tailoring, fine fabrics and inspiration from vintage pieces (image via Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151645\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Even since his early days being around Nigel Cabourn, Kestin has always acknowledged the importance of tailoring, fine fabrics and inspiration from vintage pieces (image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> I went back to London after graduation, but during my final year I\u2019d spent more time at Nigel\u2019s studio and became quite obsessed by inspiration from the vintage pieces he\u2019d collected. This was on the eve of \u2018The Ascent of Cabourn\u2019 collection and it was an amazing time to be there. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">While I was down in London, a job came up with Nigel and a woman I was seeing at the time was from the North East. So I moved back to and Gary was moving on, so I got pushed to the front by Nigel and became Head of Design fairly quickly. We had a great relationship with the Japanese at the time and it was like a big family environment. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">We designed and produced limited edition collections that were amazing, I\u2019m not sure we realized how good they were at the time!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">I then went through a change in my life and things came to an end at Nigel Cabourn after four years, so I moved back to Edinburgh. I started to do freelance work with <strong>Burberry<\/strong> and <strong>Margaret Howell<\/strong>, but I really wanted to start running things by myself\u2014as I\u2019d be effectively doing that at Nigel Cabourn\u2014using the factories I\u2019d built relationships with.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151646\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151646\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151646\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-image-via-kestin-1.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle-(Image-via-Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151646\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>H:\u00a0 <\/b>Did you always want your own brand eventually\u2014was that the intention all along?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>KH:<\/strong>\u00a0 When I finished studying I wanted to work for a Burberry or a Watanabe\u2014I wanted to work for a brand name. It developed organically over time and from working with such a small team at Nigel Cabourn, I felt I could do it myself. I had good relationships with factories that we\u2019d worked with but I didn\u2019t have enough experience to go it alone (although I thought I did!). <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">The first time I tried to do things myself it didn\u2019t really work, so I continued to freelance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">It wasn\u2019t until I got introduced to somebody that was trying to set up a menswear brand\u2014he already had a shoe brand at the time, but wanted to do clothing\u2014which became <strong>Common People<\/strong>. He was making shoes in Northampton but also wanted to make clothes in the UK. I was introduced as the person who could help realize that. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">It began as freelance work and we ended up getting into some great accounts, but we couldn\u2019t finance the production and he couldn\u2019t afford to pay me. So I took some equity in the business and we made some small runs in factories that I\u2019d used before, but finance was still tough.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151647\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151647\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151647\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-image-via-kestin-the-cruise-store-in-leith-which-acts-as-the-flagship-for-the-kestin-brand-image-via-kestin.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle-(Image-via-Kestin)-The-Cruise-Store-in-Leith-which-acts-as-the-flagship-for-the-Kestin-brand-(Image-via-Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151647\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Cruise Store in Leith which acts as the flagship for the Kestin brand (Image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">We launched in Japan very quickly, on the back of my history and reputation there from my time at Nigel Cabourn. The \u2018Made in the UK\u2019 thing and history appealed to the Japanese and they were fairly easy to deal with through a trading company. But, the business wasn\u2019t really mine and it was difficult to progress the situation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">We decided to draw a line under it and my Japanese partner at the time suggested moving on and changing the name. He felt that using my name would be beneficial because people respected what I\u2019d done and there was already a following. It\u2019s also more personable\u2014and he was right. It was never my intention to use my own name for my brand, it just evolved that way organically. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"> I was back in Edinburgh freelancing but in the meantime had met a very lovely Scottish woman who was working in London and I decided to move back down there. Most of the work was down there at the time anyway and I fell in love with London again. I\u2019ve got very fond memories of living in North London which is a beautiful, fantastic, and warm place.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151648\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151648\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151648\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-image-via-kestin-part-of-the-kestin-flagship-store-in-leith-image-via-kestin.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle-(Image-via-Kestin)-Part-of-the-Kestin-flagship-store-in-Leith-(Image-via-Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151648\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Part of the Kestin flagship store in Leith (Image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">I\u2019ve always been a big believer in the arts and being influenced by all types of artistic disciplines. It was important to me that we surrounded ourselves with people involved with these things when we went back to Edinburgh. And you need these disciplines along the way; photographers, designers, and artists etc. I\u2019ve found you get the best results if you immerse yourself right in the thick of that culture. When we came back to Edinburgh, Leith was (and still is) the place to do that. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">My friend and I have very much developed a creative \u2018hub\u2019 within Leith which is called Custom Lane, it acts as a studio space that backs onto the Cruiser Store which is our flagship in Leith. We have a gallery space with a great art program, guys roasting their own coffee, a yoga studio and the Edinburgh Tool Library (a charity that you can borrow and rent power tools and work tools from) also has its home there. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s a very collaborative environment, we\u2019ve really curated the mix of people within the space and we all share the studio together. It\u2019s really important for the brand too, as it\u2019s about much more than just clothes. It\u2019s about everything.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151649\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151649\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-151649 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in292f1-e1584490478670.jpg\" alt=\"Kestin and his team work meticulously close with their chosen factories to ensure the quality of fabric and garment, producing in the UK whenever possible (Image via Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"410\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151649\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kestin and his team work meticulously close with their chosen factories to ensure the quality of fabric and garment, producing in the UK whenever possible (Image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>H:\u00a0 <\/b>There have been stories and concepts behind each season for the brand, tell us a little more about creating collections which are \u2018more than just product\u2019?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>KH:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019ve never been a great fan of calling clothing \u2018product\u2019, as it makes it sounds too much like marketing and it\u2019s about much more than the clothes. It\u2019s about a lifestyle. Menswear as we know is about the narrative, and consumers are much more savvy as to how and where things are made. It\u2019s what we believe in too, it\u2019s about an experience. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">I\u2019m probably my own worst enemy in terms of pressure on myself to continually make things better and improve what we\u2019re doing. But at the end of the day I\u2019m very lucky\u2014although I\u2019ve worked bloody hard!\u2014and it\u2019s been through people that I\u2019ve met along the way that have inspired me. <\/span><span class=\"s1\">Which is why I think it\u2019s important to give something back to designers coming through. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">We\u2019ve also had fantastic support from the customers over the years, I can\u2019t thank them enough. We\u2019re fortunate to be doing what we love doing, so hopefully that continues.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151650\" style=\"width: 1055px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151650\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-151650\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-part-of-the-aw19-collection-in-high-places-which-included-a-collaboration-with-famed-outdoor-brand-blacks-of-greenock-image-via-kestin.jpg\" alt=\"In-Conversation-With-Kestin-Hare-Coming-Full-Circle-Part-of-the-AW19-collection-'In-High-Places'-which-included-a-collaboration-with-famed-outdoor-brand-Blacks-of-Greenock-(Image-via-Kestin)\" width=\"1045\" height=\"699\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-151650\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Part of the AW19 collection &#8216;In High Places&#8217; which included a collaboration with famed outdoor brand Blacks of Greenock (Image via Kestin)<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>H:\u00a0 <\/b>What\u2019s next for Kestin\u2014the brand and the person?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>KH:\u00a0<\/strong> We\u2019re working on some exciting projects for the future which I can\u2019t talk about too much but a great collaboration with a British heritage brand which we\u2019ll show during Paris fashion week. It\u2019s a different type of product and it\u2019s been a challenge for our design team, but we\u2019ve really enjoyed working on it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">I\u2019d also like to produce womenswear in the future as well, as we\u2019re getting a lot of women buying our clothes (and looking great in them), so there\u2019s the demand for that already. It would be nice to do a few ladies pieces in future. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">We\u2019ll continue to try to push the boundaries of collections and making garments within the UK, which is really important to us. We already cut our own patterns in-house in Leith but it would be great to manufacture some small runs of garments there too. Hopefully we can continue to invest in a bigger, better, and more local design team and studio environment.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The menswear world is built on those who have dedicated their lives to their craft and perfected their skills, often&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":151638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[651],"tags":[21863,3986,1438],"acf":{"published_feed_date":"2020-03-19 00:01:29"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.8 (Yoast SEO v21.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Coming Full Circle - In Conversation With Kestin Hare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We sit down with up and coming British designer Kestin Hare on his eponymous line and long history with fellow vintage Brit Nigel Cabourn.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2020\/03\/coming-full-circle-conversation-kestin-hare\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Coming Full Circle - In Conversation With Kestin Hare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We sit down with up and coming British designer Kestin Hare on his eponymous line and long history with fellow vintage Brit Nigel Cabourn.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2020\/03\/coming-full-circle-conversation-kestin-hare\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Heddels\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Heddels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-19T06:01:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-03-19T04:36:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/in-conversation-with-kestin-hare-coming-full-circle-image-via-kestin.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1045\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"699\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Will\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@heddels\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@heddels\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Will\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"15 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2020\/03\/coming-full-circle-conversation-kestin-hare\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2020\/03\/coming-full-circle-conversation-kestin-hare\/\",\"name\":\"Coming Full Circle - In Conversation With Kestin Hare\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-19T06:01:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-19T04:36:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/#\/schema\/person\/c30d4020dd690566249e0189e030b8d3\"},\"description\":\"We sit down with up and coming British designer Kestin Hare on his eponymous line and long history with fellow vintage Brit Nigel Cabourn.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2020\/03\/coming-full-circle-conversation-kestin-hare\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2020\/03\/coming-full-circle-conversation-kestin-hare\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/2020\/03\/coming-full-circle-conversation-kestin-hare\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.heddels.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Coming Full Circle &#8211; 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