Clothes to Make You Smile by Eric Darnell Pritchard

Clothes to Make You Smile

Patrick Kelly Designs His Dreams

Eric Darnell Pritchard

Abrams Books for Young Readers · Print & ebook · January 13, 2026

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Who it’s for
A picture-book biography follows Patrick Kelly’s joyful designs from Vicksburg to the fashion world.
Themes
Creative self-expression, Perseverance amid rejection, Joy through fashion
Genres
Artists' Lives for Kids, Kids Fashion, African American Life (U.S.)

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About this book

Clothes to Make You Smile is a picture book biography about Patrick Kelly, one of fashion’s most influential Black designers, joyously told by fashion expert and educator Eric Darnell Pritchard and beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Shannon Wright. Patrick Kelly was one of the most influential fashion designers of the twentieth century, but growing up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, he didn’t see many boys who liked to sew.

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That didn’t stop him from sitting down at his grandma’s table and picking up a needle and thread. Patrick loved the way clothes could make someone feel their best, and he dreamed of creating designs full of joy and whimsy. Those dreams brought him to some of the biggest cities in the world, but when he got there, he was told that his clothes were too vibrant, too tacky, and too much! When the fashion world rejected his designs, Patrick just laughed and carried right on working. He created clothes for people like him, outsiders who didn’t grow up fitting in but weren’t afraid to stand out. He filled his designs with love, and when the world finally recognized his talent, they couldn’t help but smile.

Patrick Kelly’s Designs

A picture-book biography follows Patrick Kelly’s joyful designs from Vicksburg to the fashion world.

Come here for

  • Kelly’s early love of sewing at his grandmother’s table
  • His vibrant, whimsical designs and persistence through rejection

Expect

  • A biography of Black fashion designer Patrick Kelly
  • Illustrations by Shannon Wright

Where it sits

Artists' Lives for Kids49%
Kids Fashion46%
African American Life (U.S.)36%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Kids Fashion
  • Artists' Lives for Kids
  • LGBTQ+ Lives & Stories
  • African American Life (U.S.)
Authors
Eric Darnell Pritchard
Publisher
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Published
January 13, 2026
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Creative self-expression · Perseverance amid rejection · Joy through fashion
Reading lane
Kids Fashion