California Apparel News

The Fall/Winter 2025 collection from Kevan Hall relied on traditions and heritage as the designer reworked some of his beloved pieces from his nearly 40-year career while also creating new garments that rely on traditional Japanese design techniques. Hall was inspired by a journey to Japan where he participated in workshops covering indigo dyeing, kintsugi, the practice of repairing broken pottery with gold, and suminagashi, which is a method of creating a marbled effect with floating ink.

“Care for tradition and restoring and saving things that are broken resonated with me through the kintsugi concept, where you are not discarding something—you’re making something that is broken even more beautiful,” Hall said. “That can apply even to people’s lives. People go through brokenness and heartache and heartbreak but there is always some possibility that things can be put back together and restored.”

Hall embarked on his journey through a partnership with Japan Airlines as the company seeks to promote travel to lesser-traveled regions. The resulting project, “Journey to Japan: a Fashion and Travel Exhibition,” was unveiled in a gallery-style exhibition in New York Feb. 11 at Stellan Holm, located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. The presentation showcased 12 styles featuring silk organza, indigo-dyed denim and meticulous artistry such as embroidered cranes and beaded dragonflies.

While Hall’s exhibition boasted fresh looks for Fall/Winter 2025, refreshed approaches to archival garments were also showcased. Hall reimagined pieces including garments worn by members of his celebrity clientele.

“A couple of those pieces we showcased, one of which was our Whitney gown for the late Whitney Houston, were reimagined in one of the traditional Japanese techniques,” said Hall. “Also, the Charlize Theron gown was revisited in a beautiful new beading pattern that was inspired by the journey to Japan.”

Hall was also inspired by each region’s vintage shops, gracious locals and the landscapes comprising fall foliage in pink hues and the autumnal golden shades of maple trees.

“The world is a beautiful place,” said Hall. “Folks should get out and travel, and be open to other cultures, other people around the world. America is a wonderful place, but there are other places we should embrace and love.”