Cooper Hewitt says...
While her full name was Lillian “Lilly” McKim Pulitzer Rousseau (1931-2013), the world came to know the unlikely fashion designer almost solely through her first name in the development of the “Lilly Look.” Born into the life of a socialite, she married newspaper heir Peter Pulitzer and moved from New York to Palm Beach in 1952.[1] After having three children, Pulitzer needed an outlet for her energy, and it was through the opening of a juice stand that she developed her ultimate business plan. Recognizing the need for a light, comfortable garment that would hide juice stains, she worked with her seamstress to create a garment. The result was the design of glamorous shift dresses that became associated with her brand for decades, which she preferred to call “Lillys.”[2]
Pulitzer had no background in design or business, and remarked that she “just fell into” the design world.[3] Her success was due in part to her creative vision and through the formation of key partnerships. For the textiles used to create her garments, she sourced quantities of fabric from the screen-printing firm Key West Hand Print Fabrics. The designs were largely created by textile designer Suzie Zuzek (1920-2011), and her bold, colorful pieces would play a key part in forming the visual identity of Pulitzer’s brand. At one point Pulitzer also had a controlling interest in the textile company.[4] In addition, the shift dresses gained notoriety when worn by popular socialites, especially after First Lady Jackie Kennedy was photographed wearing a Pulitzer dress sporting a Capri pattern. After that point in 1962, the designer claimed that business "took off like zingo."[5]
Over the course of the 1960s and 1970s, the brand became known for preppy looks and colorful prints that fit well into a larger cultural aesthetic. A womenswear line offered the iconic “Lilly,” as well as sweaters and pants. Later, Pulitzer debuted a collection of children’s wear named “Minnie” after her eldest daughter, consisting of miniature versions of the “Lilly.” She also developed “Men’s Stuff,” which most notably offered Pulitzer Jeans made of vibrant patterns. This design style also extended to the home with the introduction of towels, pillows, and tablecloths in the late 1960s.[6] All of these pieces suited to wear in the summer reflected Pulitzer’s disposition that “it was always sunny somewhere,” and she refused to design any type of cold-weather clothing.[7]
Later in the twentieth-century, changes to the iconic look of the clothing spelled financial disaster, and by 1984 the company filed for bankruptcy. In 1993, Lilly Pulitzer was revived through a purchase by Sugartown Worldwide Inc. with Pulitzer acting as a consultant. During this time she also co-authored with Jay Mulvaney two publications: Essentially Lilly, A Guide to Colorful Entertaining (2004) and Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Holidays (2005). Today, Lilly Pulitzer is owned by Oxford Industries Inc., and continues to maintain popularity, as evident in the fast-paced sales of a 2015 Target capsule collection.[8] Consumers are still able to purchase dresses, shirts, swimsuits, and accessories printed with vibrant Lilly patterns that embody the fun and free spirit of the company’s original founder.
1. Caroline Halleman, “The Fascinating Story of How Lilly Pulitzer Came to Be,” Town &
Country Magazine, August 10, 2017,
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/a10228167/history-of-lilly-pulitzer/.
2. Joan Nielsen McHale, “Lilly: Barefoot Girl with Chic,” The Miami News (Miami, FL),
April 21, 1967, 1B.
3. “Fabrics Publicize Key West,” Key West Citizen (Key West, FL), November 15, 1964, 12G.
4. McHale, “Lilly.”
5. Halleman, “The Fascinating Story.”
6. “The Lilly Look at Home,” House & Garden, June 1969, 66.
7. Arnold J. Karr, “Designer Lilly Pulitzer, 81,” Women’s Wear Daily (New York, NY), April
8, 2013, 8.
8. Karr, “Lilly Pulitzer.”
