Patrick Kelly: A Legend of American Fashion and Culture
By Guest Contributor Rose Mae Turner
A gay Black kid turned high-fashion designer from the Jim Crow South, specifically rural Mississippi, Patrick Kelly accomplished more in his short lifetime than many designers dream of. He had a knack for mending what was already in his wardrobe and he enjoyed selling vintage pieces before he ever started designing. We wish this story had a fairytale ending, because while watching old shows of Patrick’s, one tends to feel energized. However, his life ended tragically; indeed, a generation of artists were lost to AIDS, and sadly, Patrick was one of them. He left a profound legacy behind, so in honor of Black History Month, do your part and remember his name, baddies!
In 1970s Atlanta, Patrick could be found knee-deep in vintage goods while working at an AMVETS thrift shop. It was there that he started upcycling some of the donated clothing, giving discarded pieces a new life. He also started designing and making his own garments. Though the 1970s were tumultuous years, he maintained a low profile and followed the example set by the strong women in his family, who “were…aware of how to use hand-me-downs and fabric remnants to create ‘Sunday best’ outfits for themselves, family, friends.” (Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, P. 176)
Some remember Patrick for his whimsical designs influenced by Yves Saint Laurent. Others remember Patrick’s iconic signature buttons which varied in size and color - all now are extremely valuable. Today, Patrick’s vintage button sets sell for nearly $1000 on the 1st Dibs Auction site, with some signature button dresses listed for over $4000. Patrick featured mismatched buttons as an ode to the button jars his grandmother had in the house and used in garments growing up. Repair was both valued and essential in the days before the commercialization of fashion. We can only hope the re-emerging trend of mending is here to stay.
Initially, you wouldn’t know that Patrick dropped out of college, simply because he also was a true fashion nerd who would study Vogue and any fashion-related text he could get his hands on. His avid studying and his innate creativity resulted in his being a wonderful designer. He eventually did return to school to study formally at Parsons. He was known as a great stylist on campus and adorned his classmates with glamorous attire for nights out at the famed NYC dance club, Paradise Garage.
When America proved unkind to him, Patrick moved to Europe with the help and funding of his friend, model Pat Cleveland, and his career took off! He ended up working for some of the great founding fashion designers and showed his own designs in the fashion capital of the world, Paris.
Initially, he designed for the late Spanish fashion designer Paco Rabanne in 1981 and rented an apartment from him in Paris during the early 1980s. Paco Rabanne was ahead of his time and he actually championed Black designers, setting up Center 57, an exhibition space for Black and Caribbean diaspora artists. Paco Rabanne was also one of the first designers to feature black models on the runway.
As a designer, Patrick had a distinct artistic voice shaped by the social conditions defined by his identity as a gay Black man. He reappropriated racist caricatures such as blackface and turned them on their heads, shedding light on the tools of racial stereotyping and transforming them into political art. His upbringing in the segregated South thus made him an activist of sorts, using his art as a medium to contest divisive norms and highlight a path to a more inclusive future. Who is a true artist if they don’t make a passionate statement?
His runways were always colorfully diverse, featuring models of all races in the brightest creations, with a particular spotlight on Black women. This may be because Patrick learned most of his skills from the dynamic women in his family; his mother taught him drawing and his sister taught him sewing skills. During the 1970s and 1980s, many people still sewed their own clothes, so “in 1988, Vogue Patterns launched the first of five licensed sewing patterns for Patrick Kelly.” Our sewing baddies might be interested in finding some old patterns of his — we’d recommend looking on eBay and Etsy.
While Patrick isn’t a household name, we think he should be. Keep your eyes peeled for the Patrick Kelly label while thrifting. In the meantime, we suggest Moore Vintage Archive to shop Patrick Kelly's vintage works.
Sources + Further Reading:
Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love by Laura L. Camerlengo and Dilys E. Blum, with contributions by Sequoia Barnes, Darnell-Jamal Lisby, Eric Darnell Pritchard, André Leon Talley and madison moore
Rose Mae Turner (she/her) is a sustainable fashion designer, textile artist, and slow fashion advocate with expertise in archival fashion. She is based in Brooklyn, NY. You can find her on instagram @rosiemae27, and her design work at https://rosinamae.com/.