Patrick Joseph Riley Kelly

Place: Vicksburg

Born: 1954

Death: 1990

Biography:

Patrick Kelly was an American fashion designer born on September 24, 1954, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was known for his exuberant and colorful designs, often featuring body-conscious knit jersey dresses adorned with buttons and bows. Kelly's work was influenced by his Southern upbringing, as well as his experiences as a gay Black man during the height of the civil rights movement. In 1988, he became the first American designer to be admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter, a prestigious French fashion organization. Kelly passed away on January 1, 1990, in Paris, France, at the age of 35.