Cheers to 90 years of bringing sunshine into this world! On this day 90 years ago, a true icon was born: Lilly Pulitzer. Although the fashion designer and socialite is no longer living today, her soul and sunshine lives on within her brightly colored and cheerful designs. Lilly Pulitzer encouraged me to be my best, bubbly, and over the top self on a daily basis. This fashion brand has allowed me to embrace who I am with a pop of confetti and take off after my late Great Aunt Margaret who introduced me to the brand that I now love.
Growing up, I coincidentally fell in love with the name “Lilly”. I actually used to tell my Mom that I wanted me name to be Lilly. Well, it was a sign I suppose, since my favorite fashion designer is Lilly Pulitzer, herself. My Great Aunt Margaret was the hostess with the mostess – she loved her Lilly Pulitzer amongst many other preppy name brands, her social gatherings, her trips, and her wine. I see a lot of her in me today as I carry her legacy, especially within my Lilly Pulitzer-filled wardrobe on a regular basis. To me, Lilly Pulitzer is more than just a fashion brand – it is a lifestyle. And, yes, I am quoting the Lilly Pulitzer brand positioning statement seen within many many many of its catalogs – haha!
When I was a Freshmen in college, I decked my dorm room out in Lilly Pulitzer. I had taken all of my old planner sheets full of the bright and bubbly prints that I so love and made a collage with them on the cork board on my door. Needless to say, I was most definitely the brightest of the bunch, especially since all of my hall mates that year were on softball or volleyball or lacrosse team. My bedroom also had a paper banner that I had created with one of my favorite prints – Peel n’ Eat. In fact, Peel n’ Eat was the theme encompassing that entire dorm, from the bedding to the coral throws to the flamingo sheets and even the plush flamingo on my bed. My Freshmen year of college had a lot of ups and a lot of downs with a ton of changes thrown in between, but my love of Lilly Pulitzer remained true throughout the year and beyond.
As the days go by, my love of Lilly Pulitzer remains true to me. I thank my late Great Aunt Margaret for giving me this love of mine, as I plan to live out her legacy everyday – one splash of pink confetti at a time! Happy Birthday to the two great women who have made me me.
XOXO – Katie <3