Kensey Adair

Duffield Lane: The Company We Keep

An invitation for you. A thank-you to them. A celebration of the company we keep.

Kensey Rabun

The Woman Who Knows Style Is Personal

Charleston-based personal stylist Kensey Rabun believes the best outfits are the ones that feel entirely your own. With an eye for the unexpected and a love for pieces that tell a story, she approaches getting dressed as an art form, one that's equal parts personal expression, playful experimentation, and a little sentimentality. From treasured pieces passed down by her grandmother to the joy of dressing up for an ordinary Tuesday, Kensey reminds us that great style isn't about following the rules. It's about knowing when to make your own.

Wear the interesting skirt to the grocery store, the vintage jewelry to school pickup, or the fabulous coat just because it’s cold outside.

The Art of Collecting

On heirloom jewelry, inherited inspiration, and a love for the unexpected.

For Kensey, a love of personal style runs in the family. Her grandmother was a buyer with an eye for the unusual, teaching her early on that the most special pieces aren't necessarily the ones everyone else is wearing, but the ones worth holding onto.

That appreciation for pieces with a past still shapes her eye today. If she could spend an afternoon in anyone's closet, she'd choose Iris Apfel's. Not necessarily to borrow a thing, but to hear the stories behind it all. Because for Kensey, the story is often just as interesting as the style itself.

The Personal Touch

As a personal stylist, Kensey knows there's a certain magic that happens when a woman puts on something she truly loves. Her posture changes, her confidence grows, and suddenly, she looks a little more like herself.

It's why Kensey believes the best outfits aren't necessarily the ones following the latest trends. They're the ones with a little personality. A vintage necklace, an unexpected color combination, a scarf tied just so. As she puts it, “The best styling starts where the obvious ends.”

No Occasion Necessary

On wearing the good stuff, dressing for ordinary Tuesdays, and making every day an occasion.

If there's one occasion Kensey believes deserves a better outfit, it's an ordinary Tuesday. She's never quite understood the idea of saving your favorite pieces for something special. Why shouldn't the fun skirt come along to the grocery store, or the vintage earrings make an appearance at school pickup?

Her philosophy is simple: buy what you love, not just what the invitation calls for. Rather than putting together an entirely new outfit for one event, Kensey encourages finding a piece you genuinely adore and giving it a life well beyond the occasion.

After all, getting dressed should be part of the fun, even when the calendar is completely clear.

I think we sometimes forget that getting dressed can be part of the fun, not just something we do for an occasion.

The More, the Merrier

On unexpected holiday colors, statement accessories, and the art of wearing it again.

Colorful. Collected. Unexpected. Three words that sum up Kensey's approach to holiday dressing, and not a single mention of red and green. She's just as happy reaching for chartreuse, turquoise, or a fabulous shade of purple. White in December? Absolutely.

Her secret to making the most of a holiday wardrobe is to start with a piece you love and let the accessories do the talking. A great skirt, for instance, can go from a casual gathering with an oversized cashmere sweater and vintage bracelets, to a dinner party with a crisp button-down and statement earrings, to cocktails with a sheer top or a little feather trim.

For Kensey, the best holiday pieces aren't destined for just one party. They're the ones you can keep finding new ways to wear.

For Keeps

On meaningful traditions

Some things are simply too special not to pass down. For Kensey, it's her collection of Hermès silk scarves, each one thoughtfully chosen during her travels and accompanied by a handwritten journal entry documenting where she found it, what was happening in her life, and why it mattered.

One scarf, featuring a picnic motif, commemorates the year she chaired a fundraiser for Charleston parks. Alongside it, she wrote a reminder for her daughters to give generously and always leave a place better than they found it. Someday, she hopes they'll wear those scarves with an understanding of the stories and lessons woven into each one.

That same thoughtfulness extends to the people in her life. Kensey loves the multigenerational neighborhood Christmas parties that bring everyone together year after year, and she puts just as much care into the hostess gifts as the outfits. A vintage trinket, a piece from a local artist, or a little something discovered months earlier with a particular friend in mind. The best gifts, she believes, feel as though they were found just for you.