With a fashion tenure too short-lived, the legendary American designer Patrick Kelly held court in the late '80s until his passing at the age of 35 on New Year's Day, 1990. It's been nearly 15 years since his death, yet Kelly has remained a consistent reference and source of inspiration for those in the creative field. OC's beloved Gerlan Marcel of Gerlan Jeans is one such designer who osmotically pulls from Kelly's bold, energetic designs, colors, and graphics, integrating those elements into her own storytelling.
Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, a sweeping retrospective at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that opened over the weekend, reintroduces the Mississippi-born designer to a new generation of cult followers—and at the perfect time. As evidenced through the integration of Gerlan Jeans' in-house homage exhibition to Kelly (Gerlan Jeans Loves Patrick Kelly), the styling, vibe, and aesthetic is so now, and exactly what style enthusiasts want to see. Here, we caught up with Gerlan at the show opening to capture her infectious excitement.
JACKY TANG: Congratulations on this milestone moment! How did your involvement in the project come about?
GERLAN MARCEL: OC was actually part of the catalyst that brought this dream to fruition! The curator of the museum Dilys Blum, (who I knew about through her legendary book Shocking! The Art and Fashion of Elsa Schiaparelli), first came across my brand in an OC blog interview where I mentioned Patrick as one of my major influences and inspirations! Talk about the power of self-actualization.
What is your first memory of discovering Patrick Kelly?
I discovered Patrick through an article in MAO magazine in 2006, while I was working for Jeremy Scott and designing graphics and prints. As soon as I saw the golliwog logo and boldness of his graphic imagery, I was gasping with delight and instantly hooked. It was filled with humor, but with an incredible eye for sophistication. His story and meteoric rise—from Mississippi to New York to Paris, embodying the spirit of "nothing is impossible" (inscribed on his headstone at Père Lachaise)—really resonated with me. You could feel the genuine emotion and the heart that went beyond the clothes. He instantly became a beacon of light, love, and inspiration, and seeking out more of his work and details of his story became my obsession. I was so shocked by how few people (fashion and otherwise) knew of his prolific career cut too short by his untimely death. I felt a deep love and dedication to raising awareness about his incredible contribution to culture and the aesthetics of fashion.
Is there any part of your story (a specific design, season, or show) particularly inspired by Patrick?
Patrick's spirit, energy, and celebration of love and life infuse everything I do, both personally and creatively. The "Faces of the Future" print and the "We Come in Peace" alien T-shirt from my first collection, titled "Peace and Love Inc.", were a direct homage to him, as well as the dice print from my S/S 2014 collection. However, it was so amazing to discover the subliminal parallels between us while working on the exhibition. So many of the looks included in the Runway of Love exhibition I had never seen before—not even in photographs—so it was magical to discover how connected our aesthetics are, from bows to buttons to brick prints, and our shared love of head-to-toe dressing
Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, a sweeping retrospective at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that opened over the weekend, reintroduces the Mississippi-born designer to a new generation of cult followers—and at the perfect time. As evidenced through the integration of Gerlan Jeans' in-house homage exhibition to Kelly (Gerlan Jeans Loves Patrick Kelly), the styling, vibe, and aesthetic is so now, and exactly what style enthusiasts want to see. Here, we caught up with Gerlan at the show opening to capture her infectious excitement.
JACKY TANG: Congratulations on this milestone moment! How did your involvement in the project come about?
GERLAN MARCEL: OC was actually part of the catalyst that brought this dream to fruition! The curator of the museum Dilys Blum, (who I knew about through her legendary book Shocking! The Art and Fashion of Elsa Schiaparelli), first came across my brand in an OC blog interview where I mentioned Patrick as one of my major influences and inspirations! Talk about the power of self-actualization.
What is your first memory of discovering Patrick Kelly?
I discovered Patrick through an article in MAO magazine in 2006, while I was working for Jeremy Scott and designing graphics and prints. As soon as I saw the golliwog logo and boldness of his graphic imagery, I was gasping with delight and instantly hooked. It was filled with humor, but with an incredible eye for sophistication. His story and meteoric rise—from Mississippi to New York to Paris, embodying the spirit of "nothing is impossible" (inscribed on his headstone at Père Lachaise)—really resonated with me. You could feel the genuine emotion and the heart that went beyond the clothes. He instantly became a beacon of light, love, and inspiration, and seeking out more of his work and details of his story became my obsession. I was so shocked by how few people (fashion and otherwise) knew of his prolific career cut too short by his untimely death. I felt a deep love and dedication to raising awareness about his incredible contribution to culture and the aesthetics of fashion.
Is there any part of your story (a specific design, season, or show) particularly inspired by Patrick?
Patrick's spirit, energy, and celebration of love and life infuse everything I do, both personally and creatively. The "Faces of the Future" print and the "We Come in Peace" alien T-shirt from my first collection, titled "Peace and Love Inc.", were a direct homage to him, as well as the dice print from my S/S 2014 collection. However, it was so amazing to discover the subliminal parallels between us while working on the exhibition. So many of the looks included in the Runway of Love exhibition I had never seen before—not even in photographs—so it was magical to discover how connected our aesthetics are, from bows to buttons to brick prints, and our shared love of head-to-toe dressing