Lilly Pulitzer, born Lillian Lee McKim, was a fashion designer who started her career by opening a fruit juice stand in Palm Beach. She designed a sleeveless dress to avoid staining her clothes, which became popular. Her clothing line was known for bright colors and tropical prints. She also designed clothing for men, children, and bedding. She retired in 1984 but revived the line in 1993. She passed away in 2013, but her brand continues to offer colorful, Florida-inspired designs. She also published two books.
Lilly Pulitzer was a fashion designer who came to the fashion world through an unusual path. Born to a wealthy family in 1931 and christened Lillian Lee McKim, she counted among her friends Jacqueline Bouvier, whom the world later came to know better as Jackie Kennedy. She attended school with Jacqueline, but she wasn’t particularly interested in college. Instead, in 1950, she eloped with Peter Pulitzer and the couple settled in Palm Beach, Florida.
Today we are quite used to seeing women from wealthy families creating designer clothing lines. Lilly Pulitzer, however, had something else in mind, opening a fruit juice stand in Palm Beach. The booth was successful, but Pulitzer hated the way her clothes got stained with juice. She has designed a sleeveless dress, which in its bright colors has become as attractive as the juices she has prepared. Indeed, she received requests for the pattern and design, and turned her attention to fashion instead, a good thing for her friend Jackie Kennedy who loved the classic sheath dress and sported it on numerous occasions.
Pulitzer expanded his repertoire and designed clothes from the 1960s to the 1980s. Her clothing was known for its simple lines, bright colors, pretty pastels and the use of many tropical or floral inspired prints. Many of his designs have become the pinnacle of preppy clothing. She retired from the fashion scene in 1984, but revived the line in 1993. She had 70 Lilly stores before her death in 2013, and you can also find Lilly Pulitzer fashion at stores like Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.
In addition to a line of women’s clothing, Lilly Pulitzer has designed clothing for men and children. She also had a line for kids called Minnie and it featured accessories like sunglasses, bags and scarves. In addition to designing clothing, department stores may also carry Lilly Pulitzer bedding.
Pulitzer, who divorced and remarried Enrique Rousseau, is now officially called Lilly McKim Rousseau, and her brand may sometimes be called simply Lilly. Her second husband died in 1993, but Lilly continued, offering her colorful, lighthearted, Florida-inspired designs that are loved by many. She has also published two books, Essential Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertainment and Essential Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Holidays. Both were co-written with Jay Mulvaney.
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