The Photo Kid: Ben Kelly at the Royal College Of Art, 1974
This is designer Ben Kelly at his 1974 degree show at London’s Royal College Of Art.
Kelly adopted the alter-ego The Photo Kid, who is portrayed in the work by which he is standing. The Photo Kid wore clothes – in particular brothel creepers – from Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s shop Let It Rock, as did Kelly; the shoes, pink socks and belt in this photograph all came from there, while the Hopalong Cassidy & Topper top (see Ian Harris’s comment below) was picked up at a Paris flea market.
By this time Kelly had designed the RCA’s Art Bar with fellow student Geoff Hollington and within a few years was developing industrial, high-tech and postmodern themes in designs for Paul Howie’s boutique at 138 Long Acre in Covent Garden, McLaren & Westwood’s Seditionaries, Keith Wainwright’s King’s Road hairdressing salon Smile and, of course, Manchester’s Haçienda nightclub.
Kelly remains at the forefront of his field; BKD is one of Britain’s leading interior design practices.