Underwood NY: 2013

Monday, June 3, 2013

One of my inspirations Mr Patrick Kelly

The late Patrick Kelly was an American-born fashion designer who's success came during the 1980's. Raised in Mississippi, he moved to Atlanta as a young man and was selling used clothing until he went to New York to study fashion at Parson's School of Design. In 1979 he relocated to the fashion capital; Paris.

He began by creating costumes for the La Palais, a popular nightclub at the time. With his work gaining popularity, he soon launched his own label, the house of Patrick Kelly. He produced his collections from 1985 until his sudden death on January 1, 1990. At the time his death was said to be due to a brain tumor but it was later learned he died of complications from AIDS. Unlike other famous design houses, nobody took over the label after his death and so the house of Patrick Kelly did not live on.

Kelly was the very first person of color and first American to become a member of the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter et des créateurs de Mode. His clothing was sold in upscale retailers including Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale's. Kelly said he was influenced by the details he saw growing up that the women around him would add to their clothing. He especially became captivated by the designs he saw in the magazines his grandmother used to bring home from the White homes she used to clean. He was known for his use of wild colors, details like buttons, ribbons and contrasting trims. The designs were fun with a sense of whimsical charm that expressed his eccentric personality. Kelly's clothing was worn by celebrities like Grace Jones and Bette Davis.

Although his legacy in fashion is largely unknown to the general public, he surely made a very big impact and opened the doors for designers of color gaining respect from the elite in fashion's capital.