Walk: deYoung Museum (Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love exhibition)
Distance: 7 miles
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| Patrick Kelly (1954-1990; American, active Paris) surrounded by models in his clothes at the end of a Parisian show |
So Ciwt went to the recently opened Patrick Kelly fashion show at the de Young Museum* expecting to find over-the-top, zany, essentially unwearable clothes. And of course there were some of those
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| Patrick Kelly and David Spada, Woman's Ensemble, Fall/Winter 1986, Yellow and green plasrtc, pink metal wire, black synthetic rubber |
But for large part she found 'happy' AND tasteful (what a combination!) clothes that enhance every body type. Clothes, many of which she would love to have in her closet.
Turns out that is exactly what Kelly was going for. As he said in a 1989 Parisian fashion magazine: "My clothes let you know that whether you are fat or skinny, have big hips or no hips at all, the shape of your body is just fine the way it is."
The mannequins were all super sleek, of course, but you could easily imagine the wrapped dresses above being larger or longer or shorter depending on the wearer's body and sense of style.
Simply wrapping one soft piece of cloth was one of Kelly's specialties and ways of creating "Fast Fashion." Which really is one way of saying "Affordable Fashion." Instead of building in the expenses of exotic fabrics and costly couture workmanship, Kelly would do something like take a simple fabric like the jersey many sweat pants are made, of cut it into a refined shape, sew just a single hem and create The Coat that was all the rage in the 80's.
Kelly clearly had an eye and appreciation for classic designers, and many of his pieces are homages to some of his favorites - with his own whimsical or outright funny touches.
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| Coco Chanel's large fake pearls, anybody? |
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Or one of her boxy tweed jackets?
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What fashionista could forget Yves Saint Laurent's bright fushia and other intense colors?
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Just Happy and Fun:
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| Ciwt's cats would love (and shred in seconds 🙀) this cat dress. |
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| Kelly didn't graduate college so he created this graduation outfit to celebrate his inauguration into the prestigious Chambre Syndicale du Pret-a-Porter |
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| You could easily wear this tailored outfit to a job interview today. People probably wouldn't even notice the black pattern is rolling dice. |
* Patrick Kelly, Runway of Love, de Young Museum, October 23, 2021 - April 24, 2022
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Kelly_(fashion_designer)
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