There are many fashion designers in the world; some are established
and some independent. We all know of
fashion designers such as Michael Kors, Donna Karan, and Zac Posen, but when
someone speaks of Patrick Kelly, very few people know of him. For tonight's Black History spotlight, I will discuss Patrick Kelly. Kelly was one of the most influential
fashion designers who changed the fashion industry, and a Mississippi native.
Patrick Kelly was born in Vicksburg, MS on September 24,
1954 in Vicksburg, MS. He was interested
in fashion by his influence of his fashionable female relatives. He attended Jackson State University before
moving to Atlanta, GA, where he worked without pay as a window dresser at the Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Boutique. After encouragement from one of his friends,
he moved to New York City, where he attended Parsons School of Design. Afterwards, he moved to Paris, France.
While in Paris, Kelly achieved his greatest
success. In 1988, he was the first
American, and first person of color to be admitted as a member of the Chambre
Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter (the governing body of the prestigious French
ready-to-wear industry). After receiving
funding from U.S. conglomerate, Warnaco,
Patrick Kelly Illustration
Kelly with models wearing his designs
Kelly’s designs were sold in upscale
clothing stores as Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, and Bloomingdales, and his
celebrity clients included Bette Davis, Cicely Tyson, Isabella Rossellini, and
Grace Jones.
Kelly with Iman, Grace Jones, and Naomi Campbell
Bette Davis wearing a Patrick Kelly design
Some of Kelly's most memorable garments incorporated masses
of multicolored buttons and grosgrain ribbons clustered together.
Kelly's popular use of buttons
Kelly's famous button gloves
Other motifs, like the use of hats and splashy
accessories, celebrated his rural southern roots. Kelly also created works using controversial
images drawn from popular culture, bringing issues of racial stereotyping to
the forefront.
Kelly's iconic watermelon design
Although he produced
beautiful garments for many prestigious clients, it all ended too soon when
Kelly died in 1990 at age 35 from AIDS complications. Although it has been 23 years since his
death, his designs still live on.
Patrick Kelly Retrospective Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum in the 90s
For all of my Mississippi natives, and future fashion
designers, I encourage you to read about Patrick Kelly, and look at some of his
fashion designs. They are truly
inspirational.
Until Next Time!
It is an honor to comment about the late Patrick Kelly. I met Patrick Kelly in 1974 after a friend informed me that he was looking for a seamstress. I introduced him to my Mother, the late Mrs. Geneva Locklin, who became his personal seamstress. In fact, Patrick sketched his designs on a pad and my Mother made his patterns from newspaper and sewed them. Most of the items in his early fashion shows in Atlanta were sewn by my Mother. In fact, a wedding gown he used in one of his shows was designed and sown by my mother. Patrick was like a member of our family for many years prior to moving to New York; he kept in touch with us, especially my mother, once he moved to New York. However, when he moved to Paris we no longer kept in touch on a regular basis. From time-to-time he would write my mother, but eventually they loss contact until he passed away.
ReplyDeleteI love his designs using colorful buttons!!
ReplyDelete