Kenneth Bonavitacola

KENNETH BONAVITACOLA

Age 71, of New York (formerly of Philadelphia), passed away on April 3, 2025, after a

brief illness. Born on September 28, 1953, he was a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend.

Kenneth was the son of Catherine Bonavitacola and the late Alexander Bonavitacola. He is survived by his

mother; brother Joseph Bonavitacola (Susan); sister Alexis Bonavitacola (John Paterna); nieces and nephews:

Justin Bonavitacola (Stephanie), Alanna Siwinski (Ryan), Nicole Grogan (Robert), Betsy Ducat Smith

(Raymond), and Jonathan Ducat (Katelyn); and great-nieces and nephews: Izzabella and Sonny Bonavitacola,

Ella and Finn Grogan, Quinn Smith, and Lily and Henry Ducat.

Raised in South Philadelphia, Kenneth developed his love for fashion through his grandmother, a seamstress,

and his mother, who ran Little Beth Boutique. Lifelong friends and fellow fashion figures Bil Donovan and

Ralph Rucci also emerged from that same neighborhood.

His passion surfaced early. “He had his love of fashion from then on,” his sister Alexis recalled. “He was

always drawing and drawing... Even if he got punished in school, he didn’t care. He would just draw.”

Donovan, now artist in residence at Christian Dior Beauty, remembered how their friendship began during high

school and grew through shared creativity: “Kenny would draw glamorous beaded Hollywood gowns on

cheesesteak wrapping paper... We were inseparable, championing each other... while sharing our dreams,

successes, failures, humor, but always our love of each other, which is eternal.”

After graduating with honors from FIT, Kenneth apprenticed with master tailor Piero Dimitri, then held senior

roles at Sant’ Angelo, where he worked on collections for clients like Mick Jagger and Lena Horne. From 1975

to 1986, he ran his own label, featured in WWD, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Town & Country. His designs

were sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, and Saks, and he ran his own store in midtown Manhattan.

He later served as design director at Kasper, Tahari, and Bill Blass, among others, and contributed to brands

like Tadashi Shoji, Nordstrom, Anthropologie’s Bhldn, and QVC.

Rucci described him as “a true designer, who could not only draw beautiful sketches, but he could drape, do the

toile, sew the pattern... and he was so consistently filled with the joy of his work. There was never drudgery

with him.”

Shoji added: “His sketches swept you away... Kenny was a person who radiated warmth and kindness, and his

genuine spirit left a lasting impact on all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

Kenneth was also deeply committed to inclusivity and mentorship. Rucci recalled how, long before

LGBTQIA+ rights were widely recognized, Kenneth hired Kevin Boyce — a gender-nonconforming individual

— as his receptionist, later writing a play in his honor titled In a word – Wow!

His sister remembered how he once transformed a school where she was principal by dressing underprivileged

girls for Halloween: “He brought racks and racks of clothes and made them feel beautiful and fancy.”

At the time of his passing, Kenneth was teaching at FIT, inspiring students with his dedication and creativity.

Just days before his death, he told his sister he had spent two weeks perfecting a lesson. He was told, “You’ll

never have to worry about having a job again,” because of his talent and wisdom.

FIT described him as “a treasured member of the Fashion department.” He encouraged his students to dream:

“I’m never going to tell them, ‘No.’ Let them dream... They’ll find out soon enough what’s salable and what’s

not,” his sister said.

Above all, Kenneth Bonavitacola was a generous soul who lifted others through his art, his mentorship, and his

unwavering kindness. “Kenny was always, always there — no matter what.”

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Edmond Church, 2130 S. 21st Street, Philadelphia, PA. 19145. 

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