As part of its current exhibition, Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is sharing a pattern for a one-seam coat designed by Patrick Kelly in 1984. (See my post on Patrick Kelly’s Vogue patterns here.)
After Kelly moved to Paris in 1979, he worked as a costume designer for Le Palace nightclub while also selling his coats on the sidewalk of the Boulevard Saint-Germain. When he secured a stall at Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, the famous Porte de Clignancourt flea market, his raw-edged jersey tube dresses caught the attention of his first backer, Françoise Chassagnac of Victoire. Thanks to Chassagnac’s connections, Kelly’s entire collection was featured in Elle magazine:
Although the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s coat dates to 1985, the design is the same as those Kelly sold on the Boulevard Saint-Germain.
Kelly’s one-seam coat would become a recurring feature in the designer’s work. A rethinking of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s iconic 1961 one-seam coat, it may have been inspired by Issey Miyake’s cocoon coat—Kelly was once the house guest of Miyake’s publicist, Victoria Rivière, in Paris.
The original coat is a quilted cotton knit. It has a simple revers opening in front, box pleats in the back, and batwing sleeves formed by the shoulder seam:
These technical drawings show the coat front and back:
Download the one-seam coat pattern
Size: One size fits all
Fabric requirements: About 3.5 yards (3.2 m) of 60″ (~150 cm) fabric
Recommended fabrics: Fabrics with a good hand and drape, e.g. double knits and double-faced fabrics. The original is a quilted single knit.
Finished length: 52″ (132 cm)
Pattern length from top to bottom: 57.5″ (146 cm)
Tips, caveats: No separate instructions; scale and seam allowances are not marked. The coat must be cut on the cross grain. The original coat has a simple turn and stitch finish, with a sleeve binding piece for the sleeve openings.
A Parisian friend of Kelly’s has posted instructions to make a doll-scale version based on her Patrick Kelly original.
Thanks to Monica Brown, Senior Collections Assistant, Costume and Textiles, for answering questions about the project, and Paula M. Sim, Costume and Textiles intern, for drafting the pattern.
PatternVault 
THANK YOU! He was always one of my favourites when I was a fashion student and I’m so glad that he isn’t forgotten… and THANKS for putting up that link to Shrimpton Couture…I have been wanting to see that legendary first Elle spread of his work that made his name for YEARS!
Thanks for this post about Patrick Kelly, and the link to the doll version of his coat. I was trying to figure out the sewing process on my own (I’m challenge obsessed that way 🙂 ) then decided to click on the link to Kelly’s Parisian friend. I think I will make this, and try to make it look 2014 rather than the 80s. Again, thanks for this post!
Thank you for this! I’m admitting to not knowing about Kelly but this coat is fab!
This is genius – thank you! xxx
Reblogged this on Corby Creations Designs and Thoughts.
This coat is timeless elegance. To add the hat is to make superb that which is already gorgeous. Thank you for sharing this pattern!
I loved Patrick Kelly’s designs at the Philadelphia Art Museum’s exhibition of his works.
D. W. Tatem
Was looking for a vintage kimono… it occurred to me that it might be less time intense to find a pattern and look for fabric… I’m making this with a thin lining, looks finished, and don’t have to be so tediously neat finishing the edges! Thanks!