Kelly, Patrick
1954-1990 · Contribution: 1985-1988
First American designer admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Pret-a-Porter, the official body governing French ready-to-wear fashion
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Became the first American, and first Black designer, admitted to the official body overseeing French ready-to-wear fashion, building an internationally celebrated Paris-based label known for bold use of color, buttons, and bows before his early death at 35.
Life & background
Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and inspired by the fashion sense of his mother and grandmother, Kelly built a celebrated career in Paris, becoming the first American, and the first Black designer, admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Pret-a-Porter, the body governing French ready-to-wear fashion, in 1988.
Sources
- Because of Them We Can (8 Black Designers Who Changed Fashion History); The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Brooklyn Museum; Mississippi Encyclopedia
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