Eye on Fashion: The Kelly Ellman Collection

From 19th century automobile dusters to World War II parachute clothing to the latest Chanel ensembles, the works featured in the exhibition and those that Ellman has donated over the past two decades range across the breadth of the collection. Whimsical accessories are a particular passion of Ellman’s, as she appreciates how they uniquely complete a look. Ellman has also searched for and donated countless books and magazines for the fashion section of the Museum’s Lemon Art Research Library. Her detailed and dedicated work has nearly completed the Library’s holdings of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, making Phoenix Art Museum a unique resource for fashion scholarship and research. 

Since its founding in 1966, many people have come together to create and support the formation of a world class fashion collection in Phoenix. As one of those leaders, Ellman joins the ranks of visionary collectors that fostered the establishment and growth of fashion collections in museums in Europe and the United States, primarily since the 1930s. Because she is from Arizona, she has focused her energy on Phoenix Art Museum’s fashion collection, reinforcing her belief in its educational value in her community. 

 Image credit: Ken Howie