Nicholas Thornton
Staff Writer
“Currently in fashion there’s no BLACK GUY at the end of the runway.”-Kanye West
Through collaborative efforts, IMS (Insatiable Modeling Squad) and Gallery 1 are planning to set the runway ablaze with their first fashion show honoring Jackson State’s very own, the late Patrick Kelly.
The women in his family influenced Vicksburg, Miss. native Kelly. He was known for his colorful scheme patterns and embellishing his garments with eclectic accessories, Kelly has incorporated a comical and joyful image onto the runway.
Kelly studied art at Jackson State University and furthered his education by attending Parsons School of Design in New York.
During casting, one would think that only the models would be excited about honoring the late Patrick Kelly; however, the casting judges were just as excited, if not more thrilled, to be a part of this event.
Imani Khayyam, a native of Jackson, Miss., and head photographer for the Jackson Free Press believes that the show is going to be historic and is very ecstatic that the public will be able to see original pieces from the Patrick Kelly collection.
“One thing about Patrick Kelly is that he was very creative, and that’s something that cannot be taught,” said Khayyam.
Khayyam also stated that during Kelly’s era in the fashion industry, the fashion forward concepts he delivered to the runway were deemed abstract, and that should inspire people to achieve their dreams.
Kamilah Grim, a native of Clinton, Miss., is also thrilled about the late 80’s early 90’s fashion show. Grim believes that it is very important to honor Kelly because no matter how far he excelled in his career, he still paid homage to Mississippi, and he let people know that he was proud of where he came from.
“Patrick Kelly is inspirational! I love his style and one can truly sense his authenticity during a show. His shows are full of fun, love, joy, and in some shows he added a comical flare to appeal even more to the audience,” said Grim.
Will Lyons, a graduate environmental science major from Philadelphia, Miss., believes that the debut of the Patrick Kelly show will fulfill the mission of Gallery One.
“Gallery One’s motto is Exposure plus Experience equals lifelong learning. “The goal of the fashion show is to showcase awareness of who Patrick Kelly was and to honor his life, legacy, and his signature style,” said Lyons. “He was a black man in a white man’s business. He already had a bad start, but through his art he addressed topics such as race issues and civil rights issues.”
The judges have all been impacted by the work of Kelly and are expecting the fashion show to turn out wonderfully.
Bre’Ann Williams, a senior graphic design major from Tulsa, Okla., is confident that she and her troupe of models will work the runway and bring the designs of Patrick Kelly’s clothing line to life.
“We are a modeling troupe that understands the foundations of walking and runway fashion, so we are very excited to collaboration with Gallery 1 to honor Kelly and share his legacy of what he represented in the fashion industry,” said Williams.
Williams also believes that honoring Patrick Kelly in the show will strengthen the beliefs and core meaning of IMS.
“It’s more than just modeling. It takes confidence to get on that runway. Our main thing we focus on within IMS is to instill confidence within our members, not just for the runway but for any situation in life,” Williams added.
Students are currently learning to sew at Gallery 1 in Textile Design & Preservation workshops presented by Kamilah Grim and Zachree Thomas. The workshops are conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. until Sept. 22.
On Sept. 29, the collection reveal, fashion show, exhibit opening and showcase will take place from 6 – 8:30 p.m. at Gallery 1. For more information call 601-960-9250.
