Richard Kelly

Senior Lecturer (Fashion Art Direction)

Richard Kelly

Senior Lecturer (Fashion Art Direction)

Email: r.kelly@mmu.ac.uk

Telephone: 0161 247 3759

Richard Kelly is a Senior Lecturer in Fashion Image teaching on BA (Hons) Fashion Art Direction and BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion having previously taught at Huddersfield University and London College of Fashion (UAL). He is a professional image specialist teaching on both courses with more than 20 years of industry experience as a fashion and music photographer. He has developed and placed numerous students into industry roles through facilitating Live Briefs, Industry Talks, and Entrepreneurial activities.

Richard's expertise in Fashion Image and Media stems from his 20+ years as a commercial photographer specialising in fashion and music and advertising. A sustained record of involvement in the industry is widely published in Rolling Stone Magazine, The Guardian, Dazed Confused, Elle, and Vice Magazine. Advertising clients include Sotheby’s, UKFT, GFF, BBC, JD Sports, and Fred Perry. Extensive work in the music industry including an official photographer for the Arctic Monkeys. Others include Amy Winehouse, John Cooper Clarke, Lee Scratch Perry, and Pete Doherty.

His research is focused particularly on the nexus between fashion, music, and culture. He is particularly interested in music culture and the interaction with fashion.

Academic and professional qualifications

BA (hons) Documentary Photography 

Previous Employment


London College of Fashion - University of the Arts London

Huddersfield University

Academic service (administration and management)

Technical Resource Group Representative

Staff Mentor

Admissions Tutor

Undergraduate teaching

Fashion Promotion Unit Leader Showcase Level 4

Fashion Art Direction Unit Leader Responding Level 4

Fashion Art Direction Unit Leader Unit X Level 6

Exhibitions

Peacocks and Pinstripes Fashion & Textile Museum Groups Show 2008

Ink and Lyrics London Exhibition in collaboration with Si Scott 2008

Mill Co Collective Group Show London 2012

Selected Music Works 2009-2019 Colony Manchester 2019

My Utopia: Joint Exhibition with Emma Evans Manchester 2020

A Time & Place Kimpton Clock Tower Manchester 2023

20 Year Party People: Joint Exhibition with Jonny Black at The New Cross Manchester 2024

Consultancy and advisory roles

Developing content and promotional imagery for advertising and marketing for the following:

UK Fashion and Textile

Graduate Fashion Foundation 

Selected Music Works: 1999-2019

Over the years, Richard Kelly has photographed the likes of Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty, Lemmy Motorhead, and John Cooper Clarke and even became the go-to photographer for documenting the Arctic Monkeys on tour.
More than 30 of these photographs, dating from 1999 to 2019, were exhibited at Colony Ancoats.

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My Utopia: A Collaboration with Illustrator Emma Evans

Richard Kelly and Salford artist Emma Evans worked on a joint collaboration to bring together  two sides of Manchester’s lockdown story to create ‘My Utopia.’

This work was exhibited at the Carlton Club in Whalley Range in September 2021, the exhibition was to mark a turning point in the pandemic and puts a positive spin on days. The work also resulted in a photo book published by Novus Arts

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A Selection of Commercial Work. Fashion, Music and Portrait

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Research

Exhibitions

Jenkinson, J., Earnshaw, J., Kelly, R., 2022. Portrait Youth x Dandy Style, Manchester Art Gallery, 7/10/2022 - 1/5/2023.

Conference Papers

Jenkinson, J., Kelly, R., Earnshaw, J., 2023. 'Dandy Style and Portrait Youth', 49th Annual Costume Society of America Symposium, Salt Lake City, Utah, 23/5/2023 - 27/5/2023.

Office Location

Room C2.24
Cavendish South
Manchester Fashion Institute
Manchester Metropolitan University
Cavendish Street
Manchester M15 6BG