Dress
Designer
Patrick Kelly
(1954 - 1990)
Fall 1986
Black wool and multicolor plastic
Museum purchase
Object number2016.48.1
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.”
DescriptionBlack sleeveless dress in wool ribbed knit with heart bustier design in multicolor buttons; scoop neckline with plunging backExhibitions