What were you doing at age 7? Surely not sketching in front of a television set, I assume. That may be what separated American fashion designer Kevan Hall from the pack. The designer, who grew up singing and traveling with his church choir as a kid, got to experience life in Detroit when there was a substantial Black middle-class population, and when it was the city of Motown and the automobile industry’s playground. His story includes gems that most of us could only dream of, like living within walking distance of Marvin Gaye, attending school with one of Aretha Franklin’s sons, and going to the same high school as fellow designer Tracey Reese.

Hall, who counts Diahann Carroll and The Supremes as his muses, attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and planted his roots in the West where he met his wife, Deborah. In the late 90s, he served as Halston’s design and creative director, bringing life back into the once-dormant brand. By 2001, he had launched his eponymous brand Kevan Hall Collection. Throughout his career, he has dressed numerous A-list talents including Celine Dion, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron, Salma Hayek and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Today, the award-winning designer who just returned from Cannes Film Festival is jet-setting from country to country holding trunk shows which he says not only helps him be in touch with his clientele and see what resonates with them, but also informs the next collection as he caters to women with busy lifestyles who require certain clothing.

Continue reading to learn more about the designer who created stunning pieces for the late Ruby Dee, Tina Fey, Virginia Madsen, and Vanessa Williams.

Let’s start with your childhood in the 1960s and 1970s in Detroit. I read that Black nuns educated you and your siblings. What was that like?

Yes, we went to a Catholic school called Presentation Our Lady of Victory. During my time there, the school’s makeup was mixed, but I would say that the population was primarily Black students. It was a great school, with a respectable education provided by strict nuns who were not afraid to use their rulers for discipline.

Our parents enrolled us there because they wanted us to have an excellent education. Academically speaking, Our Lady of Victory was superior to many other schools. I was raised as a Protestant, but our parents believed that going to school there would give us a better foundation. I began my education there in kindergarten and remained there until sixth grade.

Detroit – the home of Berry Gordy’s Motown and a group by the name of The Supreme. Did this trio of women impact your desire to become a fashion designer?

For sure, they had an impact. I remember The Supremes first television appearance; they arrive on stage covered in crystals, beads, and feathers. Those women had an amazing appearance, and they were extremely polished. At the time, I thought, “Wow, this is fantastic,” and I knew at that moment that those were the type of women or, in their case, performers I wanted to design for.

We’ve unlocked the womenswear inspiration, but why did you never venture into menswear?

Back when I was coming up, men were not as creative or as fluid with how they dressed. We didn’t have Lenny Kravitz or Harry Styles back then. We had some folks, i.e., artists, who had a nice look, but could you build a business off that small, narrow pocket of men who were experimenting? Not really, and I wanted to have a real business. Historically men have been more conservative. I leaned more toward a glamour aesthetic because women could mix and match colors, trimmings, furs, details, and beads in a variety of ways. I love designing for women because they have always had more freedom to express themselves creatively, there are so many options between tailored tomboy to stunning siren.

1983 was not as forward-thinking as today when it came to corporate fashion diversity. How did you manage to get your product into Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Lord & Taylor?

It was due to the great product, excellent quality, and refusal to take no for an answer. I was tenacious, and I kept knocking on the doors of those retailers until they opened. When the brand finally made it into those stores, the clothing performed; the buyers noted that and returned for more orders. I was fortunate to have several retailers who were supportive of the label. I. Magnin was a store in San Francisco that used to be where Macy’s is now in Union Square. It was one of America’s finest stores; they offered me full-page advertisements taken by renowned fashion photographer Victor Screbneski support. In addition, we had ads with Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Saks Fifth Avenue, and windows at Bergdorf’s.

Did this assist you with landing the position as Halston’s design and creative director, or were there different variables that assisted you with landing that position?

By then, I had been working in the luxury ready-to-wear sector for many years; I had my own eponymous brand. I knew the president at Halston, and they were looking to launch the luxury wing of the brand, Halston Signature. They already had lifestyle but were hoping to expand into a demi-couture, so they contacted me to work as a designer in that division. After a year, I was promoted to Design & Creative Director overseeing all divisions and managing 25 Licensees.

Where’d you learn how to design? Was it solely during your time at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), or had you developed the skills before college?

I had pre-developed skills before college. I mentioned earlier that I attended Cass Technical High School, where we had a fashion, theatre, science, and architecture department. It gave me a head start because it allowed me to take drawing classes; the school had a Women’s Wear Daily subscription, which gave me access to those illustrations. My first trip to NYC was through Cass; we went to a fashion show, and they took us on a tour of Parsons. I would also spend time pouring over fashion magazines and working part-time in a vintage clothing store studying how beautiful clothes are made.

Since you are a formally trained designer, how do you view those who jump into the space without it?

Everyone can bring something interesting to the table, but I am a proponent of education and being formally trained. Formal education provides you with an understanding of the possibilities of what can be achieved in fashion in terms of cut, fabric, and proportions. Furthermore, if you study, it allows you to look back at some of the great artists and designers that can influence and inform your product.

How’d you start your career in couture?

I ventured into this space and celebrity dressing through my regular collection. During the era of traditional media, the press gave me a lot of exposure. With that, the big names celebrities became mindful of the brand, and their representatives would connect with me about custom looks for tours, red-carpet events, premieres, and their everyday life.

Speaking of couture. I read and observed in the industry that the authorities do not regard designers as couturiers if they did not attend one of Europe’s renowned schools. Thoughts?

Although the Chambre Syndicale De La Couture Paris School had particular requirements for you to be considered a couturier, I’m not sure that they do not respect a designer who has not studied at those schools. For haute couture,members must design made-to-order clothes for private clients and must have 20 technical employees on staff; the clothing shown in the show must also be primarily sewn by hand. You also had to apply to join the Chambre, which I don’t mind because the craft must be respected. It does annoy me when I see people throw their names around attached to couture without the quality or skill to back it up.

Can you tell me about your involvement with the Black Design Collective as a Co-founder? What’s happening right now with the organization?

It’s an incredible nonprofit organization started by TJ Walker, the pioneer behind Cross Colours, Angela Dean, Oscar winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter and myself as we were hanging out one day talking about the industry, our successes, and our challenges. We came up with the idea to launch Black Design Collective in 2018, well before the tragicness of 2020 and the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to help the next generation of Black creatives.

This January, we opened a Black design creative center which is in the Garment District; it houses a small facility, an incubator where designers can develop their collections from zero to production, there’s a photo studio where content can be produced, a podcast studio and there’s a 14,000 sq. feet event space where we hold conversations and fashion shows. We just had an event with Bethann Hardison sharing the making of her new film, “Invisible Beauty” and her illustrious career. Then Oscar winner and co-founder Ruth E. Carter held a conversation discussing the creation of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever costumes.

We have created our curriculum to begin training designers and offering courses for creatives to develop their design chops. This starts in July and will include 3-D Design, Sewing, 3-D Pattern Making, Social Media Marketing, History of Black Fashion, and more. This is possible because of our sponsors, which include AT&T, Lexus, and private donors.

What were your biggest or most challenging issues in your storied career?

The challenge was expanding into various markets and finding retailers willing to walk a different path by introducing new and exciting brands. Years ago, you had merchants who saw you through the entire process and helped the brands grow by supporting them each season and promoting the product. Today, retailers are struggling with their own brick-and-mortar stores, so they’ve shifted their focus and consequently most stores carry the same merchandise.

What does the following year look like for Kevan Hall, the brand?

With the brand, we are testing our various categories; We want to expand our capsule home collection. In addition, we are in discussions with other companies about expanding our accessory offerings. We would also like to expand into fragrance, beauty and are searching for licensees and strategic partners to build a complete lifestyle brand.