Patrick Kelly

A Patrick Kelly (1954-1990) design is unmistakable: joyful, provocative, and exuberant. Credited as the first American designer admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs des Modes, he spent the majority of his professional career in Paris. Kelly’s designs played up the fun and over-the-top liveliness of 1980s fashion and were instantly recognizable by their distinctive embellishment and accessories. Although his work was humorous and chic, he also drew design inspiration from his personal experience as a Black American, incorporating references to African heritage, African American history, and controversial racist imagery that he reclaimed in his work.

Kelly was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1954. His first exposure to fashion and style came through his grandmother. He observed the elegant ensembles she wore to church and read the fashion magazines she brought home to him. She would be a lasting influence on his design aesthetic. Kelly’s signature multi-colored button embellishment, often shaped into a heart, was inspired by the contrasting buttons his grandmother used to repair and decorate the family’s clothing. Kelly attended Jackson State University in Mississippi and moved to Atlanta during the mid-1970s where he worked for a tailor and sold his own designs. He then moved to New York and attended Parsons School of Design for a year before moving to Paris in 1979. From the beginning, Kelly’s talent and exuberant personality drew supporters—this transcontinental move was made possible through an anonymous gift of a plane ticket from the model Pat Cleveland.

In Paris Kelly designed costumes for the Palace nightclub and sold his fashions outside boutiques, at flea markets, and to his model friends. These designs—knit tube dresses with colorful and eclectic embellishments—drew the attention of Elle magazine, which featured him and his work in a six-page editorial spread in February 1985. He soon after established Patrick Kelly Paris with his partner Björn Amelan. In 1987 the company attracted investment from the fashion conglomerate Warnaco, which allowed Kelly to expand his offerings into couture and his sales profits into the millions. Kelly’s designs were smart, tongue-in-cheek, and full of attitude, features amplified by the energetic fashion shows for which he became known. His clientele included a large range of women from Bette Davis and Grace Jones, to the Princess of Wales and Gloria Steinem. Kelly’s career was cut short by his untimely death in 1990, however his jubilant, thoughtful, and bold designs had an outsized influence on fashion.