LA-based Kevan Hall has been busier than ever during this time of “pause.” When approached by UCLA Medical Center in March, he quickly agreed to support their frontline efforts by making masks and adding sleeves to existing hospital gowns to provide the caregivers with more protection. With fabric donated by the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) to the Black Design Collective, Hall and fashion designer Malena Ruth, a BDC member whom Hall mentors, took on this project and have revamped 500 gowns to date.
Dr. Rietta Gloodglick of UCLA Medical Center distributes their gowns to healthcare workers in nursing home facilities, including the Rehabilitation Center of Santa Monica, Santa Monica Healthcare Center, Brentwood Rehabilitation, Berkeley East and West, among others. These frail and vulnerable populations are really at the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis in Los Angeles.
During this time, Hall has also launched a buy one/donate one initiative on Etsy called “KevanCares” to supply the public with masks, which has enabled Hall to lend his support to Dr. Sheila Young at the Drew Medical Center in South Los Angeles. This underserved community is not receiving nearly enough funding and supplies. A donation of masks was made to the community’s COVID-19 testing site, which more than 900 individuals visited this past weekend for testing and education about how the coronavirus is affecting Black and Brown communities.
“I’m grateful that I’ve been able to keep my atelier working by providing something that is beneficial during this tumultuous time,” Hall said. “There is too much sorrow, but even the smallest gesture of generosity brings joy and goes a long way.”
The Black Design Collective was established in 2018 by Hall, Angela Dean, TJ Walker and Ruth E. Carter to help address issues surrounding inequality in the fashion industry and provide black designers with resources and mentorship. It has recently started a COVID-19 Response Fund. Of late, the BDC has also been proactive in helping its members navigate this challenging time by hosting weekly Zoom workshops on funding resources, among other relevant topics.
Pictured (top): Dr. Rietta Gloodglick, UCLA Medical Center, Kevan Hall, and Malena Ruth.
