The celebrated fashion designer Patrick Kelly (1954–1990) was only 35 years old when he succumbed to AIDS, and yet his work today often appears as lively and boundless as it was when he was alive more than two decades ago. His enduring message of love – one that boldly reaffirmed the empowerment of blacks and fearlessly pushed the boundaries of fashion – is evident in the Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love exhibition, which runs from October 23, 2021 to 24 de Jung.

Lauren L. Camerlengo

“I want my clothes to make you smile,” said Kelly, who was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi and despite the many challenges he faced as a black gay adolescent, most of all from his mother and father, after that of his father Grandmother was raised, an optimistic, creative vision developed. In 1969, Kelly died. Kelly briefly attended Jackson State University in Mississippi before moving to Atlanta and then New York. With an anonymous ticket in hand, he arrived in Paris at the age of 25.

He worked as a freelance designer in the City of Lights for several years before founding the company and the fashion line Patrick Kelly Paris in 1985 with his business and life partner Bjorn Guil Amelan. Together they conquer the world with clothing that not only became internationally known, but was also representative of his personal expression, which fearlessly dealt with blackness, systemic racism and the queer experience.

Members of our San Francisco Bay Times team have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Runway of Love, announced during the shutdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the museum is open and waiver is mandatory, the exhibition will bring Kelly’s captivating work to the West Coast public. It will highlight nearly 80 of its memorable designs.

“The de Young Museum has always been dedicated to showcasing the best fashion designers in the world, and we are delighted to present Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love to our audience,” said Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of Fine Arts Museums from San Francisco. “Kelly was a pioneering artist who created an extraordinary variety of designs in her lifetime. Everyone should know the name Patrick Kelly and we hope this exhibition does just that. “

Despite the fact that black fashion designers have continually crossed the barriers of the industry, Kelly was a true pioneer. His bold and luminous creations stood out on the streets, in nightclubs, and especially on the catwalk. This extraordinary vision led Kelly to be the first American and first black designer to be elected to the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode, a renowned French association for clothing designers. Perhaps more notably, Kelly received such awards while being and remaining one of the few designers who directly addressed racial issues in his work.

The exhibition places Kelly and his designs in the broader context of art and fashion history by looking closely at his inspirations. Its influences are examined in seven different sections, including his black legacy, memories of his childhood in the south, experiences in the club and gay cultural scene in New York and Paris, and his muses from art, fashion and black history.

We recently learned more about Kelly and Runway of Love thanks to Laura L. Camerlengo, Associate Curator of Costume and Textile Arts at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Presenting Curator of the exhibition.

San Francisco Bay Times: It’s remarkable how Patrick Kelly was self-taught and had a vision of what he wanted to do so early on. Who were his main mentors during his childhood and formative years, and how did they influence him?

Laura L. Camerlengo: Patrick Kelly was born and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi, by strong women. His mother taught him to draw and an aunt taught him to sew. In several interviews he recognized his grandmother as the “backbone” of his aesthetic. Another source of inspiration were the styles worn by members of his parish; he often said, “The Black Baptist Church on Sundays, the ladies are just as wild as the ladies at Yves Saint Laurent’s haute couture shows.”

San Francisco Bay Times: Vintage clothing stores were particularly popular in the 1970s. Kelly showed great initiative when he opened his own store in Atlanta. Do you know how long he owned the shop and which vintage fashions appealed to him the most at the time?

Laura L. Camerlengo: The curator of the exhibition, Dilys Blum, sheds light on Patrick Kelly’s time in Atlanta in her catalog essay. Kelly opened a small store called Moth Ball Matinee in 1974 shortly after moving to Atlanta. There he sold antique and used clothing as well as converted clothing and his own designs.

San Francisco Bay Times: Has he ever spoken or written about any problems he likely had while growing up as a gay, black teenager and young man in Mississippi? If so, are there specific stories you could share?

Laura L. Camerlengo: Yes, Patrick Kelly has experienced racism all his life and shared his experiences with racism. His former business and life partner Bjorn Amelan continued to tell these stories after Kelly’s death. Patrick Kelly’s children’s books, for example, were lore from white schools filled with racist notes for future readers. Kelly had to flip through pictures of Blackface to study – a painful memory that has stayed with him all his life.

San Francisco Bay Times: Has anyone ever found out who gave him (anonymously) his first one-way ticket to Paris in 1979?

Laura L. Camerlengo: Yes, it was the supermodel and superstar Pat Cleveland who bought him his one-way ticket to Paris in 1979. She met with Patrick Kelly in New York and saw that he was struggling to get there as a designer. In an interview that we shared in the exhibition catalog, she recalls: “People helped me, I thought – that’s why I gave him the ticket – so why not help each other to make our dreams come true? We only need one person to believe in us, and Patrick kept that dream alive for many more years. “

San Francisco Bay Times: Bjorn Amelan is a remarkable figure himself. How did he and Kelly meet?

Laura L. Camerlengo: Bjorn Amelan and Patrick Kelly met in 1982. At that time, Amelan was a photographer agent for luminaries such as Horst P. Horst and William Klein. They met in designer Willi Smith’s showroom in New York City. Kelly and Amelan got together again in Paris in 1983 and became business and life partners afterwards.

San Francisco Bay Times: How did Kelly first come into contact with Gloria Steinem? She seemed to play an important role in building his international career.

Laura L. Camerlengo: As Dilys Blum indicates in our catalog, Patrick Kelly was introduced to Gloria Steinem by New York television producer Carla Morgenstern. Kelly had a connection to Morgenstern through Ellie Wolfe, whom he met while residing in Atlanta from 1974 to 1978. Steinem also interviewed Patrick Kelly on the Today show.

Even more poignant, Gloria Steinem gave a beautiful eulogy in honor of Patrick Kelly during his funeral service at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 1990. She said, “He was an outsider who brought the outside with him and then the outside eliminated outside / inside division for everyone. He united us with buttons and bows, tassels and fringes instead of dividing us with gold and jewels. In his presence the ‘not powerful enough’ felt hope and the ‘too powerful’ humanity. “

San Francisco Bay Times: What are some of your own favorite pieces in Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love? Please do let us know why you are getting these pieces or why they appear noteworthy in some other way.

Laura L. Camerlengo: It’s hard to pick a favorite design – a bit like asking me to pick a favorite kid! But my dear, late friend and colleague Monica Brown – who initiated this exhibition – was a huge fan of Patrick Kelly’s wool suits, which feel both professional and whimsical. In her honor I will name these as my “favorites”.

San Francisco Bay Times: How many pieces / ensembles are new to the exhibition that are from FAMSF? Have these items been exhibited before? And please describe some of these items of clothing.

Laura L. Camerlengo: The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco was honored to receive several designs by Patrick Kelly from two former Kelly colleagues: Elizabeth “Ms. Liz “Goodrum, Kelly’s longtime assistant; and Audrey Smaltz, a famous catwalk show producer who also coordinated Kelly’s spirited catwalk shows. Among the items of clothing that can be seen in our exhibition are a gray and black striped jailhouse skirt-themed knit dress donated by Goodrum and a chewing gum-pink quilted coat with small pictures of the American-born black entertainer and activist Josephine Baker is printed on. donated by Smaltz. Several pieces of jewelry donated by Goodrum will also highlight many of the ensembles that the Philadelphia Museum of Art has made available to us.

San Francisco Bay Times; What do you think is Kelly’s enduring legacy for the fashion and art world? Like Keith Haring, he seemed to be as much time man as he was, but also unique and timeless.

Laura L. Camerlengo: Patrick Kelly’s style signatures – like his use of tubular knit to create body-conscious styles – have become part of the fashion lexicon. Since his death, the designer himself has served as a symbol of hope and a rallying call for other black fashion professionals, as most recently with The Kelly Initiative. (https://thekellyinitiative.net/)

San Francisco Bay Times: It’s moving that the controversial Golliwog image he used in his work – taking control of this derogatory symbol – is on his tombstone along with an image of a heart. Was that his decision? Or maybe Amelans?

Laura L. Camerlengo: Yes, Bjorn Amelan was inspired by the signatures of Patrick Kelly Paris for the tombstone images, including the house’s Golliwog logo and the heart button. But it is the epitaph that perhaps best embodies the designer and his legacy: “Nothing Is Impossible”.

San Francisco Bay Times: Please mention anything else you would like to tell our readers.

Laura L. Camerlengo: The presentation of Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love in our museums marks the first time Patrick Kelly’s work has been presented by a West Coast museum. We were supported in this endeavor by many of Patrick Kelly’s friends, colleagues, and co-workers; aspiring scientists, such as our consulting scientist, Dr. Sequoia Barnes, and Established Academics; and various members of the Bay Area community. We are excited to share Patrick Kelly’s important contributions to fashion and his enduring legacy with our audience.

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Published on October 21, 2021

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After a year of packaging Bolognese and pork chops wrapping, Nopa joined the parklet scene in early March, allowing his longtime fans to finally eat in restaurants, if only outdoors, since the pandemic began. Since last week there are also 10 indoor tables. Exciting, but still not the same jam-packed, nightly party Nopa has basically been since Jeff Hanak, Laurence Jossel, and his then-fiancée Allyson Woodman opened the restaurant 15 years ago.

It was a different world then. In 2006, on the corner of Divisadero and Hayes Streets, there was nothing but a coin-operated laundromat with long doors, which is why they could afford it. The rent for the two-story, 4,000-square-foot room was $ 7,000 per month. Laurence trolls auctions and pays pennies for pots and pans. They asked their friend Brian Barneclo to paint a wall-length mural inside honoring the street. They called it Nopa (as in North of the Panhandle), and it became arguably the first full-service late-night neighborhood eatery – in their neighborhood – then known only as Western Addition, where culinary options were limited to Popeyes, pizza and a popular grill counter. Yet gentrification was quietly going on.

Laurence, Jeff, and Allyson had a common goal: to feed their people until 1am, heretical at the time for sleepy San Francisco. “The tipsters and speakers,” said Jossel, referring to all the bartenders and waiters who came in at the extra-long bar after their shift for elderflower and wood-grilled burgers. A busy brunch soon followed. (Just like Nopa’s new neighbors: Bi-Rite. Boutiques. Josey Baker was selling $ 8 toast (now).) At peak times, the kitchen was cooking for about 4,000 customers a week.

Fast forward to 2021 and Nopa – the restaurant and neighborhood that essentially renamed it (after years brokers tried and failed) – had what we all had: a difficult year. And how many COVID relationships (including Bill and Melinda): a breakup. The once close trio has broken up, 51-year-old Jossel remains standing. Somehow he is not exhausted, but full of energy, supported in Nopa’s next chapter by his new partner Holly Rhodes, who acts as a delivery driver. He’s also excited to see the new bestseller on his menu: Fried Chicken ($ 23).

I spoke to Laurence about the split, Nopa’s legacy and the future of his restaurant. The following conversation has been edited and condensed for the sake of clarity. (Disclosure: Rachel is a longtime Nopa regular and friends with Laurence, Allyson, and Holly; their children all go to the same school.)

Nopa was largely limited to takeout before Laurence Jossel managed to secure a parklet for the restaurant in March.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Q: So what happened? Breakups are so hard. And I knew that you already had one personally. … It’s like a breakup over a breakup.

A: Yes, Allyson and I got divorced five years ago and the reality was, it was really hard to work together during that time. When couples split up, they can usually take their time. They can say, “I’ll talk to you in six months.” But we still had to see each other every day, sit across from each other at meetings and talk about paintwork or whatever and pretend everything was fine. It has taken an emotional toll. Back then I didn’t want to be there anymore, but how could I just walk away? We both had every right to be there. So we did it. We made it.

Q: Until the pandemic. The big reset.

A: It was scary the day after the shutdown. Jeff and Ally were both, we don’t want liability. Let’s just close it. I said: we can’t. We have too many people in this restaurant who don’t get government support. We have to show the neighborhood that smoke is coming from the chimney. They said, “We’re out.” The pandemic has made everyone look at their lives and say, “Is this really what I want to do?” And it wasn’t for Jeff and Ally. They have their other restaurants, like Liho and Nopalito. It was months of negotiations. At one point I thought you know what, well, just take it. Buy me out. I am conflict avoidance. I just start over. And Holly kept saying, “You will regret it. It’s no nopa without you. ”(The Chronicle reached out to Jeff with no response. Since the story went online, Jeff has said he had not received the Chronicle’s request for comment. Allyson declined to comment, adding for wishing Laurence all the best for Nopa’s future.)

Q: Now you are everything. How does it feel?

A: Well it was heartbreaking. Jeff and I were brothers. He gave my son his middle name – Louie. Long story. Holly and I lived on her 401k, we put our mortgage on hold. Our children raised themselves this year. But it feels great to be the sole owner of Nopa. I’ve never been the sole owner of anything. I am the boss. It remains to be seen whether I can be an entrepreneur. I have 10 jobs now. I clean bathrooms. But after 37 years of working in restaurants in San Francisco, this is my first time not under any obligation.

Q: And you have had a parklet since last month. Why did it take you so long to build one?

A: We had to move a bus stop! Holly heard the head of the SFMTA (Michael Krasny’s radio show) one morning and called: She said, hey, the Hayes-21 is no longer running. We clean up after the homeless, our business suffers. Help us. We want to build a parklet. I tracked down the head of Clear Channel Outdoor (an advertising company that runs billboards and other outdoor signs. It turns out they own the bus stops and we had to move one. I cooked the guy a chicken. Instead of their advertising, we asked after to rent it. We call it the Glass Canvas. There will be a different local artist every month. Holly is the curator. I also like that we have this neon-lit steel structure in front of our parklet. These parklets are not safe, man. If one Our car hits, it hits steel, not our guests.

Q: Thank you for thinking of us. Are people so happy to be eating at Nopa’s again?

A: It’s amazing how emotional everyone was. On Instagram, outside. They say: “We met here.” Or “We got engaged here.” Or “I ate here the day before my baby was born. … The day I found out my mother had died. ”They tell me,“ I can’t wait to go to the bar. ”They say,“ We ​​did it. We survived that together. ”To be honest, we did. It’s not just a pork chop for people.

Q: It’s not just a pork chop for you, either, is it?

A: Sometimes I think I could have been braver, started something new. But I did something at the beginning of COVID. Holly went home, everyone was gone. I was just turning off the light in the dining room and just stood there and swore to the building that I wouldn’t let it go. I said i love you I owe you. I owe this building. I owe it to the legacy of all these cooks and waiters, bus drivers, bartenders and guests that it goes on. I owe it to the neighborhood to show – that after all that is lost – we are still alive. Nopa is sitting in exactly the right place on the planet to make people happy.

Nopa added a fried chicken dish ($ 23) to its menu during the pandemic. It is the restaurant’s second most popular product after the burger.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Q: You know what else makes people happy: your new roast chicken.

A: Holly and I were actually two days away from signing a small window lease in Potrero for nothing but fried chicken before COVID hit. I had tinkered with a table deep fryer at home. A lot of fried chickens are all about the crust, the outside. But I think the taste comes from the chicken itself; I focused on the taste from within. From slaughter to soaking buttermilk. It’s a fried chicken philosophy. I tried different spices and in the end I got a Ras el Hanout with 21 different spices including cardamom, nutmeg, ginger. It is wet-salted for three hours, double-dredged. I thought it was just going to be COVID comfort food, but it’s now Nopa’s # 2 best seller.

Q: # 1 is the burger? How much is it right now?

A: $ 24 with fries. We panicked when we first put a burger on the menu in 2006 – for $ 12. We thought: who pays $ 12 for a burger ?! Like bougie! But we said, look, we grind our meat every morning, and it’s good meat, shoulder; We bake our own rolls, we pickle our own onions, we whip our own aioli, we cut our own french fries by hand, we grill them over wood – someone has to stack the wood. There is so much work behind it. Twenty percent of the people who come through the door get burgers. In 2019 we sold 38,000 burgers. That’s a lot of burgers. And our burger is a lot of work. Maybe we should call it this: “A lot of F – working with cheese”.

Q: Meat seems to be falling out of favor quickly lately. Worried about your burger?

A: No. It doesn’t keep me up at night. Our burger will be good. But the fried chicken wins.

UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect what Jeff Hanak said.

Rachel Levin is co-author of Eat Something and Steamed: A Catharsis Cookbook for Getting Dinner and Your Feelings on the Table, released by Running Press this month.

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