Gerry Kelly
PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY YOU SHOULD KNOW
Gerry Kelly
Night Impresario
Gerry Kelly
If you’ve ever been to Bash, Shadow Lounge or Liquid, or patronized Level or Karu and Y, Gerry Kelly is the man to thank for those bracing nights.
The Irish-bred nightclub owner began his career as a women’s haute couture fashion designer, setting up shop in Stuttgart, Germany, and soon after became an event promoter for the renowned PACHA nightclub. “Since the recession, doing women’s haute couture was like the kiss of death,” states Kelly. “It’s a dying art. You don’t make any money out of it, you just get in the papers all the time. But it was a passion that I loved to do.
” This inspiring and enthusiastic motivation landed the designer a contract to style the wardrobe for Europe’s acclaimed Simply Red lead singer, Michael “Mick” Hucknall. In 1993, Kelly made his debut on South Beach, having been prompted by his former client to move to the city and partake in directing events for Hucknall’s new South Beach club, Bash. Although the club was co-owned by actor Sean Penn, Kelly was wary of an area that was alien to him. He decided to take a chance, offering them a three-month stay — but upon arrival, he knew this was a city with potential.
Kelly then spent the next 16 years opening, running or directing some of the most lavish and chic nightclubs that have blessed our city, catering to everyone from tourists and locals to A-list celebrities like Madonna, Donatella Versace and P. Diddy, to name a few.
In 2009, after resigning as vice president of downtown hot spot Karu and Y, Kelly decided to take his European flair to Gulfstream Park and Casino to construct a new venue where the creative vision was his. Kelly began designing his club, MI-VI (pronounced “MI6”), using 17th- and 18th-century England as the basis for his dynamic palette, importing Victorian-style furniture from Egypt, lining the bars with posh flowing drapes and erecting an extravagant statue of Queen Elizabeth I at the club’s entrance. These give MI-VI a sense of nobility that is luxurious yet welcoming.
“Building the palace and opening the doors, then expecting people to walk through them… those days are over,” says Kelly. This understanding of nightlife evolution gave the club owner theme ideas such as “Kingdom Thursdays,” “A-list Fridays” and “Monarchy Saturdays,” which is described as a night with a little
something for everybody, gathering an eclectic melting pot of dancers and drinkers.
Since opening on Jan. 23, Kelly’s new Gulfstream home has been prospering. “One of the reasons I came out to Gulfstream is because this compound is what I call the ‘sleeping giant’ on the Miami-Dade and Broward line,” Kelly explains. And while we see the Gulfstream Village beginning to flourish, Kelly’s presence is sure to hasten the “sleeping giant’s” awakening, while reminding us all how to let loose and have a good time.
PHOTO: MITCHELL ZACKS/MAGICAL PHOTOS
Category: PROFILES
