Below is the interview that led to Kevan Hall’s return to the pages of WWD on Wednesday, September 12, 2001.
LOS ANGELES — There was a clear sense of homecoming at Kevan Hall’s spring runway show, held Monday night at the Downtown Performing Arts Center.
As a special guest at the “Absolute Africa” event, a seven-city fashion tour across the country that will conclude with Hall’s presentation, the designer showed highlights from his second signature collection since stepping down as Halston’s creative director in late 1999.
Hall, who had been with the New York company for three years and split his time between the East and West Coasts, with his family living outside of Los Angeles, left Halston-Newco shortly after it was acquired by Nima Clothing.
Freelance work followed, but by February 2001, Hall decided to return to his hometown full time and set up shop again. A Detroit native, he moved to California on a fashion scholarship more than 20 years ago and launched his first eponymous ready-to-wear brand in 1982.
“This is the home of (James) Galanos,” Hall said of one of his heroes. “This is the land of the film industry, and fashion is so closely tied to Hollywood. I thought, literally, I should have that intimacy with the film industry and my retail and wholesale business.”
Even as designers from around the world make their presence felt here with flagship stores and awards-season visits, it’s the locals who maintain something of an advantage: From Galanos to Richard Tyler, designers with production facilities within a few miles of studios and actors’ homes can fill bespoke orders more quickly than designers based a continent away.
Less than a year after opening his Beverly Boulevard studio, Hall is already becoming a hit among Hollywood insiders.
Angelica Huston, Angelina Jolie, Dana Delany and Christine Lahti visited the hall.
“I love going to his store. It’s so beautiful,” an enthralled Angela Bassett said at an Absolute event Monday night. Though she seeks out Hall’s personal service, it’s the fox-trimmed cardigans, paillette knee-length skirts and Hall’s trademark twisted blouses, all in wine color, that keep her coming back. “His clothes are incredibly sensual and fun and comfortable.”
Hall expects to finish 2001 with sales of $1 million.
His spring collection, like his first fall collection, channeled Hollywood’s Golden Age with wide-leg trousers, bias-edged cocktail dresses and twist-front blouses. He evoked the spirit of Josephine Baker and ’70s Paris with many of his looks, while his lightweight wool-and-satin tuxedos were clearly reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich.
But his clothes don’t push the boundaries, and retailers say that’s why his growing customer base is buying into them.
“Women are going crazy for Kevan, and the clothes fit great,” says Matthew Amendolaro, couture manager at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills, which introduced the line in stores in the fall. “We’re getting special orders from customers for spring, and we’re even considering a trunk show for the spring collection.”
The store’s boutique sells cashmere cardigans with fur trim and cocktail dresses: “It’s a very sexy line, but there are also pieces for a more mature woman, with sleeves and flattering cuts.”
Many of the 100 boutiques that carry the line in North America have trunk shows, with or without Hall in attendance, dot their calendars.
Joanie’s in Memphis is one such example. Owner Joanie Franks, a Halls customer since 1985, boasts that she continued to buy his designs even during his Hallston days. “On Saturday, a woman brought in two pieces of clothing by Kevan from the ’80s that looked just as good then as they do now. Chic and sexy, that’s Kevan’s style. His suits, pants and twisted blouses always sell well. I always buy them again.”
The atelier has a wide staircase, the kind you always see in old Norma Shearer movies, that curves up to the 2,000-square-foot space. The atelier is on the same boulevard as other popular Hollywood custom and RTW designers, including Tyler, Eduardo Lucero and Richard Bowman.
Coffee, lavender, and cream colors dominate the light, sparsely decorated rooms. The reception area is walled off from the design and storage area. (A second storage space is located off-site, as is the company’s downtown manufacturing facility.) Knoll and Jean-Michel Frank chairs are covered in woven tweed. The main room features a desk lavishly covered in his signature shagreen (or sanded sharkskin).
His love for Frank, an early 20th-century furniture and interior designer, is reflected in his designs, which incorporate cable knit and beadwork patterns evocative of shagreen: “I took that concept and expanded on it.”
He said they haven’t faced any production challenges here yet (cashmere is produced in China): “Designers just have to seek out and find the right factories, keep giving them work and work closely with them to get the quality they need.”
The spring collection includes denim pieces but maintains its characteristic understated elegance.
“I love simple, statement clothing,” says Hall, “which is how I live my life and at the heart of my design.”
Branding the name is now a priority. “We’re looking at licensing deals to develop a collection of dresses and separates that can sell for $500 to $1,000. We’re looking at shoes, handbags, a full-fledged fur line, a lot of things that will enhance the overall image of the brand,” he said. Blouses are already ready for fall.
Wholesale prices for the collection range from $200 to $1,800, or more for custom orders, with flagship dresses retailing for under $2,000.
Hall describes his growth plans as strategic, but says the pace doesn’t necessarily have to be slow, just thoughtful.
“I don’t have an advocate,” he says, “and I do this very carefully. I’ve learned a lot over the years working for other people.”
