Object: Dress
Designer:
Patrick Kelly
(1954 - 1990)
Date: Fall 1986
Medium: Black wool and multicolor plastic
Country: France
Credit Line: Museum purchase
Object number: 2016.48.1
DescriptionBlack sleeveless dress in wool ribbed knit with heart bustier design in multicolor buttons; scoop neckline with plunging back
Label Text:Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Patrick Kelly was raised by his mother and his grandmother, Ethel Rainey, who became his greatest muse. Described as “one of the chicest women I know,” Kelly used mismatched buttons in his designs in homage to Rainey, who mended the family’s clothing. As journalist Bonnie Johnson described, “to detract from having to use mismatched buttons on his shirts, [his grandmother] started sewing them everywhere.”
Exhibitions:
- Paris, Capital of Fashion
- Black Fashion Designers