Kevan Hall Explained

Kevan Hall
Birth Place:Detroit, Michigan, US
Education:Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles, California
Label Name:Kevan Hall
Occupation:Fashion designer
Relatives:Vondie Curtis-Hall (brother)Kasi Lemmons (sister-in-law)Henry Hunter Hall (nephew)
Website:http://www.kevanhalldesigns.com

Kevan Hall (born 1957, Detroit, Michigan) is an American Fashion Designer best known for his celebrity red carpet dresses and his role as the Design and Creative Director of Halston (1997-2000).[1] In 2001, he launched his eponymous brand, Kevan Hall Signature that includes couture evening wear, women's pret-a-porter suits, accessories, and luxury home goods. His collections have been worn by Anne Hathaway, Naomi Campbell, Celine Dion, Michelle Obama, Vanessa Williams, Charlize Theron, Viola Davis, and more.[2] In 2018, Hall co-founded the non-profit organization Black Design Collective, alongside costume designer Ruth E. Carter.[3]

Early life and education

Kevan Hall was born in 1975 in Detroit, Michigan, the youngest of three children. His brother is actor and film director, Vondie Curtis-Hall.

By the age of seven, Hall knew that he wanted to be a Fashion Designer.

He attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, where he met his wife, Deborah.[4]

Career

Hall started his fashion career as an assistant to L.A. sportswear designer Harriet Selwyn. In 1983, he founded Kevan Hall Couture, selling to luxury retailers including Neiman Marcus, Saks, Lord & Taylor, Bonwit Teller, Bullocks Wilshire and Bergdorf Goodman. In 1997, Kevan Hall was asked to provide the creative talent to reinvigorate Halston, the dormant label famous for dressing Jacqueline Kennedy, Lauren Hutton, Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, among other notable names.[5] Kevan joined Halston as the Design and Creative Director from Fall 1998 - Spring 2000.

In 2002, he launched his own signature ready to wear line, Kevan Hall Collection.[6]

Fashion Week Online highlighted Hall’s Fall/Winter 2022 collection: Trading Post, stating, “his use of regional fabrics, accented with blackened gold and copper metallics, reimagines a glorious era of seafaring trade and opulent beauty.”[7]

Kevan's designs have been worn by many Hollywood stars and fashion icons including Salma Hayek, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl, and Michelle Obama.[8]

Kevan Hall and his designs have been featured on numerous television shows. Hall was featured on as he dressed Kimora Lee Simmons for Vogue’s Met Gala in New York.[9] America’s Next Top Model featured Hall’s Spring 2009 collection as a runway challenge as he looked on as a guest judge.[10] Adrienne Maloof from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills featured Hall's collection in a fashion show to introduce her new shoe line.[11]

Hall has made guest appearances on national television shows such as Inside Edition, Extreme Makeover, The Better Half, and E!'s Fashion Police to discuss current fashion trends on and off the red carpet.

In 2024, Kevan Hall opened a pop-up boutique in Cannes, France during the 77th Annual Cannes Film Festival.[12] His Spring 2024 Collection, titled Côte d'Azur after the French Riviera, was inspired by French artist Sonia Delaunay.

Honors

Kevan has been recognized throughout his career for his craftmanship and contribution to fashion. After graduating from FIDM, he received the Peacock Award for Outstanding Fashion Design. In 1989, the NAACP named him the Great American Designer, and in 2005, Life & Style Magazine named him Stylemaker of the Year.[13] In 2002, he was named the 47th Annual Gold Coast Fashion Award's Designer of the Year.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cole . Hariette . December 14, 2018 . KEVAN HALL .
  2. Web site: Benton . Rashad . CFDA: CAREER CONVERSATIONS: KEVAN HALL, Council of Fashion Designers of America . 2024-08-07 . cfda.com.
  3. Web site: Crouch . Dorothy . Black Design Collective Announces Pyer Moss Founder Kerby Jean-Raymond as Honoree . 2024-08-07 . www.apparelnews.net . en.
  4. Web site: Thomas. Barbara. Kevan Who?. Los Angeles Times Online. 9 July 1999 . 15 November 2014.
  5. Web site: De Zoysa. Dana. As Good As the People He Dressed. January Magazine. Phaidon Press. 15 November 2014.
  6. News: QUINTANILLA. MICHAEL. Designer Kevan Hall Is Back on His Own--With a Twist. LA Times. 7 October 2020.
  7. Web site: KEVAN HALL F/W 2022 – TRADING POST! . Fashion Week Online . 17 February 2022 . 12 August 2022.
  8. News: Langenhennig. Susan. Designer Kevan Hall, one of Hollywood's go-to red carpet guys.
  9. http://photos.essence.com/galleries/designer-spotlight-kevan-hall/ Essence Designer Spotlight: Kevan Hall
  10. Web site: The FIDM Blog: Kevan Hall Featured on "America's Next Top Model" . 2014-11-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150512221030/http://blogs.fidm.com/my_weblog/2009/09/kevan-hall-featured-on-americas-next-top-model.html . 2015-05-12 . America's Next Top Model Feature
  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVxai9CVpdk Kevan Hall RHOBH Fashion Show
  12. Web site: Crouch . Dorothy . Kevan Hall Hosts Cannes Pop-up Experience During Film Festival . 2024-08-07 . www.apparelnews.net . en.
  13. News: NPR Staff. Fashion Matters In Tough Times, Says Top Designer. NPR.com. National Public Radio. 15 November 2014.
  14. Book: Tortora, Phyllis G.. Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion. Oxford: Bloomsbury Academic. 2010. 978-1-8478-8852-5.