It is not every day that one speaks about style with Carlos Sainz, both father and son. Their partnership with Hackett London has become one of the quiet pleasures of contemporary menswear, a study in how heritage can move forward when it is carried by two generations who understand each other without the need for explanation. To celebrate the new campaign and collection, the Sainz duo–who is in the UAE for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix—made their way to the Hackett boutique in the Dubai Hills Mall. We sat down with them to discuss all things fashion, their style legacies, and their bond that reflects through the brand’s latest campaign.
In the brand’s new ‘Tradition and Modernity’ campaign, the father and son return as its central figures, and the result feels less like a performance and more like an observation of a relationship shaped by trust, discipline, and a shared sense of elegance.
When asked about what it was about Hackett that resonated the most with him, Sainz Jr. told us, “Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve always worn Hackett outfits and Hackett jackets. So when the collaboration happened, it felt like the most natural thing. I felt like I was going to wear the clothes I normally wear. It’s also the fact that it is a traditional heritage brand with values very similar to the ones I always try to represent. So it was an easy pick.”
The Autumn/Winter 2025 collection places them in moments that read like fragments from a family album. A foosball game turns into a familiar contest. A drive through autumn light becomes an exchange of unspoken glances. Their coats shift in the breeze. Their silhouettes echo and diverge. Nothing about these scenes feels staged. Instead, they reveal how style can become a language passed down through years of watching, learning, and experimenting.
Speaking about working with his son on a campaign, Sainz Sr. said, “ I think it was a very interesting thing that we did together. The collaboration with Hackett as father and son is the first of its kind that we’ve done together, and there will probably not be many, so I think we really enjoyed it. It is something which is not staged. It is real.”
Hackett uses this dynamic to express its own identity. The brand has long been rooted in British tailoring, yet its approach continues to evolve. Talking about the British menswear codes that influence his dressing, Sainz Jr. explained, “For me, mainly, the classic gentleman look is the look I always chase. I always try to stick to the basics and be comfortable, and Hackett’s range of menswear perfectly captures the essence of my style.”
Tweeds, glen checks, and cavalry twill appear alongside sharper, contemporary cuts. The clothes speak to the past, but they inhabit the present with ease. On the Sainz duo, the effect is unmistakable. The father carries the quiet authority of tradition. The son offers an instinctive interpretation of modernity. Together, they illustrate the idea that inheritance can extend to one’s wardrobe and style.
When asked about the styling tricks and habits that he picked up from his father growing up, Sainz Jr. revealed, “I think my father always represents a classic gentleman look. He always wore Hackett and continues to do so now. I believe always seeing him with a jacket on, even if the dress code didn’t require it, made me believe that a jacket never hurts anybody. You’re never going to be overdressed or underdressed with the right jacket.”
Conversely, when questioned about whether his son’s style inspires him, papa Sainz, said “”I think everyone has their own style, and I certainly have mine, but I do pay attention to Carlos and his friends. Young people have their own way of dressing and it’s interesting to see how they are styling things.”
Sainz Jr. also reflected on how certain items have become anchors in his own wardrobe. When asked about the one Hackett piece he never travels without, he revealed that “a Hackett belt” has become a constant companion. It is a small detail, yet it speaks to the way well-made essentials can steady a look. And when pressed on the one Hackett item every man should own, his answer returned to the garment that shaped his earliest impressions of style. “A Hackett jacket,” he noted, remains the piece that can take anyone from casual to refined without effort.
Taken together, these reflections form the quiet heart of the campaign. Hackett’s Tradition and Modernity story is not about spectacle. It is about the transmission of taste, the patience required to refine it, and the gentle certainty that comes from wearing something that feels true. In the Sainz family this becomes especially clear. The father brings the weight of experience. The son brings a fresh reading of the same codes. Their presence side by side suggests that heritage is not a fixed idea but a living one, shaped by the people who choose to carry it forward.
For Hackett London, the Sainz partnership offers more than recognisable faces. It offers a portrait of how menswear evolves, not through reinvention alone but through continuity, affection and the steady passing of knowledge across generations. The campaign captures this with unusual sincerity. It reminds the viewer that style can be taught, but it is more often absorbed. And when it is shared between father and son, it becomes something enduring.
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