|
Friday, 11 March 2005 14:42 |
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.- Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will present Patrick Kelly: A Retrospective . The first retrospective of this African American fashion designer, originally from Vicksburg, Mississippi, will include more than fifty complete ensembles from the Patrick Kelly estate. Archival material and numerous objects from Kelly's personal collection of Black memorabilia will also be featured.
Kelly was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi and moved to New York in 1979 to study at Parsons School of Design. An anonymous gift enabled him to buy a plane ticket to Paris, fulfilling a long-time dream. He began his career in the fashion business by designing and selling cotton tube dresses on the street corners of the city. He quickly enlisted celebrity clients such as Bette Davis and Grace Jones. Kelly showed his first collection in Paris in 1985 and in 1988 had signed a $5 million contract with Warnaco, a powerful American fashion conglomerate.
Kelly made history, becoming the first American admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Pret-a-Porter (the governing body of the prestigious French ready-to-wear industry). Sadly, Kelly died of complications from AIDS on New Year's Day 1990 at the age of 35, before he, or the fashion world, could fully enjoy his enormous talents.
Although Kelly produced collections for only a few short years, his whimsical, witty garments proved to be potent and original contributions to the field of fashion. He took his inspiration from the American South. His clothes have been described as, "funny, funky tributes to high-strutting hot Sundays in southern Baptist churches."
Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~
|
