Inspired by Hans Eijkelboom’s photographic series, the London-based duo returns with a sophomore collection that approaches the male wardrobe with a playful touch
- Who is it? Keogh Dewar is a British design duo combining classic silhouettes with unexpected textures and colours. Transparent bubblegum pinks and shiny purples are encapsulated in formal shirts and tailored pants.
- Why do I want it? For their second collection, the label expanded its technical horizons. Colours and textures remain at the forefront, but a new sense of practicality is introduced.
- Where can I find it? The collection is available via the label’s website.
Who is it? Keogh Dewar’s methods are almost as unorthodox as their clothes. To establish their visual language, the New Zealand-Scottish creative partners gathered 30 of their closest friends for a simple exercise. “We picked out the core garments that we wanted to begin with and asked them to wear them how they normally would,” says Alison Keogh, one half of the label. From there, they observed each person’s singularities and, more importantly, their shared habits.
The exercise drew inspiration from photographer Hans Eijkelboom, whose work documents patterns of identity and behaviour by capturing moments of sartorial sameness in large cities. Like the Dutch photographer, Keogh Dewar simulated repetition to build an understanding of how men dress – and how far they can push those boundaries. At first glance, the collaborators’ propositions feel familiar: a polo shirt, a pair of tailored trousers, staples of the male wardrobe. Look closer, however, and the conventional begins to shift. Latex tailoring catches the light distinctively. Shirts in technical fabrics drape differently.
Their methods reflect a straightforward design philosophy. “We’re not trying to revolutionise menswear; we don’t over-intellectualise our work,” says Kate Dewar, the other half. That outlook was what first brought the pair together. They met while studying for their BA at Central Saint Martins before eventually collaborating on a project. The connection was immediate. “We have a similar relationship with fashion. We think it's supposed to be fun,” says Dewar. They went on to complete the MA course at the same school in 2025, presenting their final collection as the first under the Keogh Dewar label.
Over a year into business, and little has changed. Even outside the structure of fashion school, their approach remains light-hearted. Drawing on what Dewar describes as “the way men used to be hot”, the pair apply a distinctly female gaze to menswear, translating absurdity into sex appeal. “We look back at the early 2000s and there’s this playfulness that no one is trying to capture any more,” says Keogh.
Why do I want it? Working from the same conceptual framework as their debut, Keogh Dewar’s second collection continues to build out the male wardrobe. Titled Somewhere Else, it began by addressing the blind spots of their debut. “We had only made two shirts. Men love shirts and we love men who love shirts,” says Dewar. That affection takes shape in purple nylon, mint technical polyester and pink technical nylon. Despite the exuberance of the fabrics, the shirts themselves remain classic in silhouette. “If you’re working with fabric that pushes the realm of what people are comfortable wearing, you need to strip it back somewhere. It might be a crazy colour, but at its base, it’s just a well-made shirt,” says Keogh.
Each collection functions as a continuation of the last. Pieces are added to their catalogue to signal evolution rather than excess. “In theory, we might add a single piece every season or collection,” Dewar explains. This season, outerwear is introduced with a buttonless nylon blazer. “Then, the way the other pieces evolve can change around it,” she continues. The polo – arguably the hero piece of their debut – returns as a bib that barely peeks out beneath a sheer pink shirt in the campaign imagery.
Compared to its precursor, Somewhere Else is an exercise in restraint. “There was an effort to rein it in,” says Dewar. While their debut explored a pronounced tension between silhouette and materiality, the sophomore collection leans on colourful technical fabrics. Partly inspired by their relationship with stylist Harry Lambert, and the looks created for Harry Styles’ ongoing tour, Keogh Dewar shift towards a more functional register. “It pushed us because you can’t perform in some of the materials we used before, but we understood that we could provide a similar look using more mainstream fabrics,” says Dewar. A pair of trousers appears to have the sheen of latex but is made from coated cotton. “We want people who wear our clothes to have a good time.” There are only so many hours one wishes to spend in latex trousers, after all.
Where can I find it? The collection is available via the label’s website.
