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Sully Osvaldo de Jesús Bonnelly Canaán (born December 24, 1956) is a Dominican-American fashion designer of women's
ready-to-wear Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothi ...
. Trained at
Oscar de La Renta Óscar Arístides Renta Fiallo (22 July 1932 – 20 October 2014), known professionally as Oscar de la Renta, was a Dominican fashion designer. Born in Santo Domingo, he was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. De la Renta ...
. He is the founder, owner, and creative director of Sully Bonnelly, the brand.


Early years

Bonnelly was born into a family of both Corsican and French descent. An uncle of him, Rafael Bonnelly-Fondeur, became
president of the Dominican Republic The president of the Dominican Republic ( es, Presidente de la República Dominicana) is both the head of state and head of government of the Dominican Republic. The presidential system was established in 1844, following the proclamation of th ...
from 1962 to 1963. The oldest of five children and the only boy, was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to Dominican parents, Carlos Sully Bonnelly Castellanos (father) and Esmira Josefina Canaán Díaz (mother), his sisters are Elizabeth Sikaffy, Sofia Durkee, Lilliam Bonnelly and Carolina Bonnelly, he also has a paternal half-brother: Carlos Sully Bonnelly Salazar. He graduated high School from Colegio Dominicano de la Salle Bonnelly studied architecture at
Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo The Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo) is the public university system in the Dominican Republic with its flagship campus in the Ciudad Universitaria (lit. University City) neighborhood of San ...
, moved to New York in 1980 to study at
Parsons School of Design Parsons School of Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is a private art and design college located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhatt ...
were he graduated in 1983. Began his career in fashion as Oscar de la Renta's assistant. He also worked as a designer for the houses of Bill Blass, were he created a new category of clothing in the "Bridge market" "Evening Separates", and Eli Tahari before starting his first company Sully Bonnelly LTD in 1993, later called Sully Bonnelly International, retailing at
Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue (originally Saks & Company; colloquially Saks) is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in New York City and founded by Andrew Saks. The original store opened in the F Street shopping district of Washing ...
,
Neiman Marcus Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. is an American integrated luxury retailer headquartered in Dallas, Texas, which owns Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Horchow, and Last Call. Since September 2021, NMG has been owned by a group of investment compan ...
,
Bergdorf Goodman Bergdorf Goodman Inc. is a luxury department store based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York. The company was founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf and was later owned and managed by Edwin Goodman, and later his son, Andrew Goodman. ...
and other stores around the globe. In 2006 he received a call from Oscar de la Renta and was named creative director for the O Oscar Collection.


Career

Bonnelly, a native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, grew up with fashion being an intrinsic part of his identity. He studied architecture at UASD before moving to New York where he graduated from Parsons School of Design and began his career in fashion as Oscar de la Renta's assistant. He then worked as a designer for the houses of Bill Blass and Eli Tahari before starting his namesake collection in 1998, retailing at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and other better stores around the world. He later returned to Oscar de la Renta as creative director for the O Oscar Collection. In 2000 Sully Bonnelly Accents was launched, an exclusive collection for Home Shopping Network (HSN) and HSN en Espanol, making him the first Latin American designer featured on a shopping network. In 2001 Bonnelly served as Creative Director for Citrine, a contemporary sportswear collection. Two years later the Sully Bonnelly Bridal collection was launched. In 1999 he received the Golden Coast Award, a prestigious fashion award in Chicago. In 2001 was elected member to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) joining an important community of over 300 American fashion and accessory designers. Additionally, he has been honored by several Dominican organizations for his outstanding work in fashion. New York Governor George Pataki honored him in 2005 in celebration of Dominican Heritage Month. Most recently Bonnelly received the Orden al Merito Ciudadano, a recognition given to Dominicans all over the world who have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers and done honor to their homeland. Past honorees include: the authors Junot Diaz and Julia Alvarez, the musician Michael Camilo and fashion designer Oscar de la Renta. Today, Sully Bonnelly is Creative Director for Isaac Mizrahi Sportswear, Eveningwear and Dresses. Memories of his travels around the world infuse all his designs, forming his imaginary scrapbook of colors, textures, rhythms and fragrances. These inspirations materialize into exciting designs that instill in women who wear them a feeling of well-being and self-confidence.


Other notable accomplishments

In 2001, Bonnelly held the position as Creative Director for Citrine. In 2002, he designed
Celia Cruz Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during ...
's dress for the
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has bee ...
. In 2003, the Bonnelly Bridal collection was launched. In 2008, Bonnelly became the Creative Director for Muse, a contemporary women's clothing division of Maggy London in New York and Anthracite by Muse.


Recognitions and awards

*1999 44th ANNUAL GOLD COAST FASHION AWARD Designer of the Yea

*2001, Was elected member to the
Council of Fashion Designers of America The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessory ...
, an important community of over 300 American fashion and accessory designers. *2001 HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE For Outstanding Personal Achievement and Contribution to the Dominican Community in the USA. *2002 QUISQUEYA LIFE In Appreciation for your Dedication to the Dominican Community. *2002 AYUDA FOR THE ARTS Guiding Star Award. *2004 CERTIFICATE OF SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION - CHARLES B RANGEL In Recognition of Outstanding and Invaluable Service to the Community. *2005 New York Governor
George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. An attorney by profession, Pataki was elected mayor of his hometown of Peekskill, New York, and went ...
acknowledged Bonnelly as a distinguished fashion designer, during Dominican Heritage Mont

*2006 DOMINICAN TIMES MAGAZINE DTM Latino Trendsetters AWARD. *2008 DOMINICANA MODA 2008 DM08 For Outstanding International

areer. *2008 The Consulate General of the Dominican Republi

of Citizen Merit, Orden al Merito Ciudadano, an award given to Dominicans all over the world who have distinguished themselves through their careers and represented honor to their homeland. *2011 PRESIDENCY OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-Outstanding Dominican Who Honors the Dominican Republic Abroad *2013 DREAM PROJECT Outstanding Dominican. *2013 DOMINICAN BOARD FOR DANCE Thanks for your generous contribution to the "Las Noches" Gala ... *2013 NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL "City Council Citation". New York City Council *2013 DOMINICANA MODA 2013 DM13. Sully Bonnelly para Jumbo "Best Collection with Mass Distribution". *2015 UASD UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE SANTO DOMINGO Recognition for his significant contributions to the development of the Industrial Design and Fashion career.
Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo The Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo) is the public university system in the Dominican Republic with its flagship campus in the Ciudad Universitaria (lit. University City) neighborhood of San ...
*2019 MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Award Mr. Oscar de la Renta" to the Dominican Emigrant ". *2020 NEW YORK DOMINICAN PARADE Leadership in the Fashion Industry. *2021 QUISQUEYA ES MODA. In Recognition for his work in Fashion. *2022 Congress of the United States House of Representatives “In Celebration and Recognition of his Career in Fashion” presented by Adriano Espaillat.


Personal life

In January 2012, Sully Bonnelly married Robert Littman, president of the Vergel Foundation, which manages a collection of modern and contemporary Mexican Art in New York and Cuernavaca, Mexico. Bonnelly's house was featured in Rima Suqi's book Fashion Designers At Home.


References


External links


Official Website



DominicanaModa-2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonnelly, Sully 1956 births Living people Dominican Republic fashion designers Dominican Republic people of Corsican descent Dominican Republic people of French descent Dominican Republic people of Lebanese descent Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent Dominican Republic people of Puerto Rican descent Dominican Republic people of Virgin Islands descent Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo alumni LGBT fashion designers Dominican Republic LGBT people White Dominicans People from Santo Domingo