Serengeti Stylin’

     You probably have heard one of the most popular facts about a zebra of Africa – the stripes of each animal is one-off, likened to the fingerprints of people.  I love how such a point is a great parallel to help humans instantly relate to these animals with awe and respect.  However, being the individuals that they are in their hides, I am impressed over a different fact.  An estimated 300,000 zebras are the third largest dominant herd of the Serengeti ecosystem in Africa (according to UNESCO).  They may be the prey of all the other non-dominant herds, yet still are a force to be reckoned with as their kick is deadly in its power, their bite is strong, and their family groups even stronger.  They are pretty darn fierce, smart, and capable creatures.  It’s no wonder that zebra stripes are used in fashion to clothe women in a print that represents the how they are powerful, beautiful, influential, and unique in every way!  

     My favorite designer Patrick Kelly, the “American in Paris” who died in 1990 at 34, was a master at creating clothes which made women feel both empowered and beautiful, without forgetting and element of fun.  It’s no wonder he designed an entire collection where all the models were vested in fantastical varieties of zebra prints! 

  His summer of 1988 collection (see picture below) featured many other designs inspired by the culture, traditions, and geography of Africa.  There were a few cheetah print pieces, too, which is ironic considering that those wild cats are one of the zebra’s predators, being also endemic to Africa!  Perhaps Patrick Kelly was highlighting the fact he was a black man descended from African-American slaves.  Whether this was his true intent or not, this is how I read it.  If such was his message, that was told in a very joyful and celebratory way so that no one could turn a blind eye to his remarkable achievements and induction into the height of French couture.  The annals of history have shown Patrick Kelly to not be shy demonstrating his pride over his heritage, his family and friends, and his triumphs. He showed off a heart full of love in such a heartwarming way through everything he made and I love him for that.  Some of Kelly’s zebra prints swirl into being a fingerprint look-alike for a sweet nod to the wonderful animal behind the well-known stripes. 

     This is the sixth Patrick Kelly inspired sewing project that I have shared here on my blog.  My first, second, third, fourth, and fifth Patrick Kelly projects are linked to in this sentence, so please give those pages a visit if you want to read more about different aspects of his life as well as see the rest of what I have made inspired by him.  Patrick Kelly is a designer who was well ahead of his time yet is also relatively just being re-discovered.  His story and his inspiring character needs to be more widely known.  I hope this post’s eye-catching dress can inspire you to open your eyes to more about him and realize how much there is to learn from him to put into effect today, for both for the realm of fashion as well as progress in racial equality.  For more visual inspiration and helpful links, please visit my Pinterest board for Patrick Kelly (to be found here).  Then you can jump over to my animal prints Pinterest board too!

THE FACTS:

FABRIC:  The zebra print is “crazy zebra blue” fabric by valex in a cotton and linen blend canvas from Spoonflower printing service, and the bodice lining was a black cotton broadcloth.

PATTERNS:  Simplicity #4365 from 2005 for the skirt portion and Simplicity #1876 by Leanne Marshall from 2012 for the top bodice

NOTIONS NEEDED:  I used lots of thread and interfacing, ¼” wide heavy duty zip ties for boning, as well as one zipper (a vintage metal one) from my inherited sewing stash.

TIME TO COMPLETE:  Making this dress only took me 8 quick hours!!!

THE INSIDES:  cleanly finished with my faux serging/overlocking – rows of tight zag-zag stitching along the raw edges

TOTAL COST:  The two yards I ordered of Spoonflower fabric was $68, while one additional fat quarter was $17.  At least everything else was on the cheap.  The lining was a scrap that was bought at JoAnn Fabric’s store for only $2, while the zip ties were leftover cuts from when we had our attic ductwork fixed up.  (Yes, hardware store construction materials are incredibly useful as sewing supplies, more often than not!)  My total here is $87.

     Many of Patrick Kelly’s pieces are currently being housed in museums, but I had the opportunity to get a look at the details and inner workings of some original zebra print dresses to help me figure out how to interpret that for myself.  The zebra dresses were not part of his traditional knitwear collections and were instead structured.  They were made strapless and in short or long ankle-skimming length.  The silhouette varied, but they were princess seamed, fully boned, and fully lined in the bodice.  Patrick Kelly’s color scheme was mostly a black and white zebra print, like the real animal, but there was a pink stripe (white background) option, too.  I chose to go with a blue and black.  Not only was this color combo appealing to me, but I wanted to give a nod to the many other times Kelly chose blue and black together, especially for the last runway collection of his short life from winter 1989-1990.  The print I chose is a little different in scale but still similar enough to be convincing.  I always want to personalize whatever I make when attempting to ‘copy’ a designer original.

     Patrick Kelly zebra dress originals were almost always in a heavy cotton twill or denim-like material, which is why I chose a substantial canvas.  Such a fabric gives the tulip-flared skirt hem an awesome shape and helps support the bodice.  My dress’ hem flare has a bit more structure than the model image of the original Patrick Kelly dresses.  However, my fabric is still new and should soften up after a few more washes since there is linen in the blend.  Either way, I love the way the skirt still swishes when I walk!  The linen-cotton canvas from Spoonflower is one of the best fabrics that they have to offer.   

     For being a knock-off of couture fashion, my own zebra dress was actually incredibly quick to whip together.  Even I was left in amazement!  I assume this was because I had used both patterns before (for this 1961 dress and an old skirt not yet posted).  I knew not only how well they came together but also their excellent fit and what size to choose.  Besides, they were in my pattern stash already.  As much as I originally wanted a true vintage pattern to use as my base for this dress idea, I also (understandably) wanted a predictable and easy success.  My fabric was too expensive to gamble on a chance of failure!  Curvy princess seams are tricky enough to fit as it is, but fully boning every vertical seam in the bodice added another element of stress.  I HAD to nail the fit, the silhouette, the overall project on the first try.  Approaching this project, I was at a point where I was very excited to see it finished, yet still careful enough to be thoughtful of the process, and overall too tired with life to deal with a sewing setback.  I needed the thrill being able to enjoy this dress as soon as possible and as easily as possible and figuring every detail ahead of time enabled this to happen.

     In my viewing of original Patrick Kelly zebra dresses, I did see that they had an off center invisible-style zipper running through one of the back bodice princess seams.  I switched this up for ease of both fitting and dressing and installed a left side zipper.  I went out on a limb to make sure every seam was fully boned and added a channel of boning along the edge of the zipper opening.  A vintage metal slide fastener was the only closure I could trust to handle the stress put upon the bulk of such a seam.  It zips as smooth as creamy butter and is strong and reliable.  Vintage notions are simple but smart in their workings and are excellent to pair with any sewing project.  As vintage metal zippers lock closed at the top of the teeth when you flip the pull tab down, I don’t even need a hook and eye at the top dress edge.  My particular zipper was painted in a matching tone of blue, so it blended in with my dress very well.  I hand stitched the zipper into place for a precise insertion and clean finish appropriate of a designer knock-off piece.      

     Even if this dress was fast to make, it doesn’t mean I skimped on its quality, as my attention to the zipper and boning already shows.  Except for the hemline, there is no thread visible from the exterior – all the finishing touches were worked by hand in an invisible manner.  I under stitched the bodice lining to the neckline seam allowance before turning it to the inside, and I definitely recommend this step for a clean, crisp edge that presents as professional.  I tacked the lining to both the waistband and the boning channels so every layer in the bodice will stay in place impeccably.  The entire lining was stabilized with mid-weight interfacing ahead of construction so that the bodice is like a secure, well-tailored piece of (breathable) armor.  I love how all my efforts made this dress everything I had hoped for and worked out flawlessly.  At some point in the future I may come back to this dress and ‘finish it’ by adding an internal grosgrain ribbon waistband, but it’s not a necessary detail.  The way the waist and the hips fit so well, this dress stays put on my body!

     I purposely made the bust a little roomy and I am conflicted over it.  On one hand, it does not squeeze my upper body, so I eliminate the fatty roll of underarm squish that shows up above a tightly fitted strapless dress (as one sees from most ready-to-wear gowns).  Loose is comfortable and lets my body move independently from the bodice, as I see of well-fitted couture boned bodices when models walk the runways of Paris and Milan.  After all, if one looks at the 1950s era ingenuity of great couturiers such as Charles James, Dior, or Mainbocher, they all knew that the support of a strapless dress should be around the middle waistline.  However, by accommodating for this, I fitted the bodice to me while wearing my true vintage 1950s strapless “Merry Widow” (Basque) style corset brassiere, and now that is the only lingerie which perfectly fills in the dress.  I really don’t mind having to wear my vintage undergarment under this dress – doing so adds to the exciting and glamorous aura of this Patrick Kelly piece.  That particular vintage lingerie is well-made and not at all bothersome to wear for any period of time but is soft on my skin.  I don’t hate my predicament, but now I have a better idea of where to improve next time.

     I wanted to use this dress as a sort of “trial-run” into understanding how to construct a proper boned gown so I can be prepared when I dive into a late 1940s gala gown project in the future.  I feel I succeeded here on my first try and this is such a confidence boost.  I was able to mimic what I love about vintage 50’s gowns!  Patrick Kelly’s original zebra dresses were channeling classic looks of his childhood, after all.  His childhood was in the 1950s and 1960s.  He always said in interview how he remembers being impressed at how the ladies of the Southern American states dressed “to the nines” with their stunning assortment of accessories, colors, and silhouettes to either arrive at church to sing God’s praises or to go out on the town with their man.  This silhouette with its nipped waist, full hips, sweetheart neckline, and flared hem is rooted in the 1950s when the slinky but classy “femme fatale” was not afraid to show a curvy figure in a statement dress, as popularized by Hollywood’s silver screen.  Designs of the 1980s reworked the retro look of 40 years before (aka the 1940s and 50s) in the best way possible.  The irony of this is that now – 40 years after the 1980s – here I am remaking the 1980s!  If something is good enough, it never really goes out of style.

     Being my first strapless dress, and my first fully boned dress, I am thrilled with both what I learned and how well it turned out.  It is my ideal evening gown I never thought I would sew, while also being comfortable to wear, a great silhouette for me, and – most importantly – an absolute joy to have on.  It is happiness that you can wear, which is exactly what Patrick Kelly wanted people to feel with anything he made.  It is not a formal dress, even though the design would normally indicate that code.  A dress this fun doesn’t take a proper affair too seriously but is there to help the wearer enjoy herself and laugh at life…which is the best way to live.  I did try on my long vintage satin evening gloves, nevertheless to play with the more elegant side of the look.  I even added an Eiffel Tower charm pendant – bought during my last visit to Paris, France – to hang from my silver hoops.  This detail is something very a’la Patrick Kelly, who used these same charms for zipper pulls!  He never tired of showing off that cultural landmark in his collections to reinforce the fact that a creative, driven, determined black man from Mississippi made it to the top of Parisian couture.  This dress may be my favorite Patrick Kelly inspired project, but then I remember I say that every time I finish yet another.

Patrick Kelly’s 1988 zebra print dress is here next to a trio of ca.1966 animal print garments by the avant-garde designer Rudi Gernreich. Picture from the 2017 “Force of Nature” exhibition at the Museum at FIT in New York.

     I couldn’t let January pass by without sharing an animal print…it always has me in that mood!  In my first few years of blogging (over a decade ago) there was a popular blogger who hosted a “Jungle January” challenge for sewing something with an animal print, and my enjoyment of that theme has never left my memory.  What is weird, is that I don’t feel that an animal print in something I specifically like, and yet I have so many at this point!  My favorite animal print projects have been my son’s tiger suede pants for the “Year of the Tiger” and my 1947 Dior inspired coat dress with leopard print accents.  I still wear my 1950 leopard print weskit (sewn in 2015) and enjoy my 2021 animal print project of knit wrap top.  One of my most stunning sundresses in my mind will always be this open back, leopard print cotton piece (posted here).  Finally, there is this old purple snakeskin knit dress that I am not proud of yet deserves a mention since the print is being touted as the “animal pattern of 2024” due to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour (Reputation vibes) and the overuse of leopard spots.  Now, I have boldly dove into zebra stripes for something different.  I hope to yet try giraffe spots and even a cowhide imitation velboa (I have found a fabric to inspire me to possibly make more Patrick Kelly looks).  I suppose I like animal prints in the most natural way possible – I don’t think about choosing it as a preference, and they just happen to end up in my wardrobe again and again!