He’s one of the hottest names in American menswear—GQ’s editor in chief picked him to create his suit for the 2024 Met Gala—but Evan Kinori has little interest in being in the thick of the action. When we speak, he’s in New York for an exhibition of his new furniture line at an art gallery on Broadway. But soon enough, he’ll be returning to his stripped-back studio-meets-store in San Francisco’s Mission District. There, heading up a team of five, Kinori creates workwear-style garments in small runs and from natural materials. Nine years in, with a cult following among fashion insiders, it’s clear that going his own way is working out just fine.

Fedora Abu: Would you describe yourself as a fashion designer, or something broader?

Evan Kinori: For me, it’s all about working with materiality, proportion, form, scale and color. You use the tools you have at hand and establish a language or a way of working. It could be the cup you drink coffee out of or the furniture that you sit on—all these things can be thoughtfully designed and made with care; I just discovered it through clothing first.

FA: Was it always your intention to do things differently?