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By: Michael W. Wilton
mickewilt@yahoo.com
Kevan Hall’s elegant, stunning gowns have graced the red carpet of the Oscars and Golden Globe Awards. His creations tend to make even the most austere feel fabulous, making him one of fashion’s shining stars.
At the age of seven, Hall’s mind was already decided on what he wanted to be. Countless hours were spent at home in Detroit watching television, where he dreamed of creating glamorous gowns to adorn the likes of Dianna Ross and others. He attended Class Technical High School to study fashion design, winning first place as the FIDM Designer of Tomorrow.
The scholarship took him to Los Angeles, where he continued his fashion design studies and won the Peacock Award for Outstanding Fashion Design. His favorite class was “The History of Fashion.” This enabled Hall to look back to the past for inspiration, and it became an integral part in the development of his collections.
Having always enjoyed looking at different designs and their roots, Hall ventured to Europe, where he toured the houses of Givenchy, Pierre Cardin and Christian Dior. These tours further sparked his interest in the luxurious world of haute couture.
During his stay at FIDM, Hall met his future wife and business partner, Deborah. The two of them went into business as Kevan Hall Couture in 1982. They focused on upscale retailers such as I. Magnin, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. By 1988, Hall was well known and was nominated as one of California’s top designers. The NAACP honored him as a Great American Designer in 1989. To top this off, in 1992 he was honored by the Center of Performing Arts in Southern California with a 10-year fashion retrospective.
Hall has becomeone of the top fashion designers to go to if you’re looking for a glamorous gown to wear. Kevan Hall has the touch for turning pretty colors into pretty gowns. During his runway shows at Smashbox Studios for Los Angeles Fashion Week, he presented soft blues, lilacs and striking corals. All these colors were done with such flair that none went unnoticed. His spring 2008 collection theme was “Africa: A Safari,” which focused on the roots of his heritage. The collection featured animal themes, sunrise colors, ceremonial jewelry and, of course, spectacular dresses.
Highlights were an emerald silk chiffon short halter dress with glittering straps and a swinging skirt, an incredible looking amethyst silk crepe gown with a lattice waist and back bodice, and an obsidian grey gown with a plunging to the waist neckline.
With his use of colors such as amethyst, sunrise and starry night blue, the designer has captured an effortless elegance. His strapless columns, sweetheart necklines, high-neck fronts with plunging backs, and A-line skirts are all unmistakably feminine, pretty and suited for a variety of body types. Once again, Kevan Hall has proven that when it comes to fashion, he knows how to make the red carpet stunningly beautiful.
To read more pick up the current issue of Crunk Magazine
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