Delightful.
Daring.
Happy.
Imaginative.
Fashionable.
Endearing and enduring.
All of these words and more have been used to describe the creations of Patrick Kelly. Now, Kelly is finally getting the retrospective that he deserves in a two-part retrospective that includes updates of his innovative designs. One is Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love and the other is Gerlan Jeans Loves Patrick Kelly and both opened today at the Philadelphia Museum of Arts's Perelman galleries.
This show explores the meteoric rise and remarakable achievements of a 1980s legend whose clothing was worn by women of every age from actress Bette Davis (late in her life) to singer Vanessa Williams, early in her career.
This is the first exhibition to showcase the full scope of Kelly's head-to-toe runway ensembles and which includes selections from the artist's significant holdings of black memorabalia, video of his exuberant fashion shows and works by renowned photographers Horst B. Host, Pierre et Gilles and Oliviero Toscani.
Kelly's muses ranged from his Mississippi grandmother, to the American expatriot entertainer Josephine Baker, to the courtiers Madame Gres and Elsa Schiaparelli.
A complimentary portion of this big, vivid show features streetwear by Gerlan Jeans (founded in 2009 by Gerlan Marcel) which reinterprets Kelly's signature bows, buttons and other bold embellishments, creating clothes that embody the dynamic spirit of a new generation.
Today, Kelly inspires a contemporary label whose vibrant sensibility is embraced by style and pop icons such as Beyonce and Katy Perry.
These dual eye-popping exhibitions continue through November 30.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest museums in the United states with a collection of more than 227,000 works of art. The Museum's vast galleries present painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, decorative arts, costume, textiles, and architectural settings.
All photos 2014 by Dan Cirucci.
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