The Black fashion designer Patrick Kelly chose the heart shape as his signature. There’s no question that he wore his own heart on his sleeve. Kelly loved color, he loved couture, he loved Black history and its iconography—from Josephine Baker to Mammy. And while he revered the grecian draping of Madame Grès, his own work was more like that of Elsa Schiaparelli, for whom witty embellishment was more important than aggressive cut. Kelly died of AIDS on January 1, 1990, at age 35. This exhibition, which encapsulates his collections and includes footage from his groundbreaking fashion shows, captures the 80s exuberance, the sheer joy, of his vision. —L.J.

Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love
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de Young Museum / San Francisco / Art
de Young Museum / San Francisco / Art
Oliviero Toscani’s Spring/Summer 1989 Collection. Photo: Oliviero Toscani.
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