Lilly Pulitzer 65th anniversary: 3 collaborations kick off celebratory year in Palm Beach
As the iconic Palm Beach brand Lilly Pulitzer celebrates its 65th anniversary, the company has rolled out three partnerships that expand Lilly's colorful fashions into new avenues.
"Each of them has a particularly authentic story," Lilly Pulitzer CEO Michelle Kelley said of the brands chosen so far for anniversary collaborations.
Lilly Pulitzer has partnered with a number of brands over the years, including Pottery Barn, Society Social and Goop.
When Lilly Pulitzer celebrated its 50th anniversary jubilee, the company collaborated with Jeep on a limited-edition floral-print Wrangler, Steinway on a collection of Lilly-clad pianos, Hasbro on a Palm Beach-themed Monopoly named "Lilly-opoly" and Florida Natural Orange Juice in packaging with Lilly Pulitzer prints.
Here's a look at three of the partnerships announced this year, with more on the way, the company said.
Badgley Mischka
This brand has a particularly close connection to Lilly Pulitzer.
Both companies have offices in the same building in New York City, Kelley said. They developed a friendship and talked for a few years about working on a line together.
With the 65th anniversary, Kelley said they talked and decided: "Now is the time."
It helps that Mark Badgley and James Mischka live in and love Palm Beach.
The line launched in mid-March, with an event at Lilly Pulitzer's Worth Avenue store. Badgley, Mischka and Lilly Pulitzer design chief Mira Fain worked together to craft the seven-piece collection, which includes pieces like the Honor ruffle dress in a vibrant pink with ruffles over the shoulders; the Willa halter dress with a beaded collar and sash; and the Beatrice dress in white with laser-cut flowers around the neckline and shoulders and three-quarter sleeves.
Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Co.
Announced March 6, this collaboration features something near and dear to Lilly Pulitzer history: juice.
As the story goes, Lilly Pulitzer created the brightly colored and patterned shift dresses to mask juice stains from her family's juice stand.
After all, the brand's mantra is, "It all started with a juice stand."
"The juice stand connection just made sense," Kelley said.
Lilly Pulitzer's artists created labels for a limited-edition run of bottles of Natalie's juice that will be featured on shelves nationwide through mid-October.
The brands also share their origins in female entrepreneurship. Natalie's was founded by Marygrace Sexton, who began making juice for her family and soon grew her business into a family operated enterprise named after her daughter, Natalie.
"The collaboration between Natalie's and Lilly Pulitzer is iconic, as it is a story that celebrates the history of Florida citrus and the success behind two women entrepreneurs," Natalie Sexton, vice president of marketing for Natalie's, said in a news release. "It was and continues to be a passion-driven purpose that, however unconventional, flourished into vibrant businesses that inspire consumers nationwide to live boldly and authentically."
The labels, which feature the brands' founders picking citrus and pouring juice, will be available on 32-ounce, 16-ounce and 8-ounce bottles of Natalie's orange juice.
The collaboration also includes juice stand pop-ups through the summer, the companies said.
Moke America
In February, Lilly Pulitzer and Moke America announced a collaboration between the brands that revolutionized resort fashion and a classic name in resort transportation.
The open-air Moke was born as a military vehicle but now is known for its versatility and popularity in tropical climates. The electric vehicle is wrapped in Lilly's instantly recognizable Just Wing It pattern in pink and green for the 65th anniversary collaboration.
"With the Moke's heyday rooted in the 1960s and Lilly's popularity spiking in the same decade, "we are honored to collaborate with Lilly Pulitzer on this special edition Moke," Moke America founder and chief executive Todd Rome said in a news release. "It’s a match made in heaven, as both brands celebrate resort culture and timeless chic. This special edition brings the sun-kissed designs and pastel colors Lilly Pulitzer is famous for to the Moke for the happiest electric ride."
In addition to the patterned exterior, the Lilly Pulitzer-edition Moke America car has peony pink rims, steering wheel and gear shift; a tire cover bearing the Lilly logo; and a Lilly-printed removable cloth top with fringe trim.
The Lilly Moke has a top speed of 25 mph and a 40-mile range on a full charge, according to the news release.
A base model starts at $33,975, and each Lilly Pulitzer Moke is made to order, according to the Moke website.
The Lilly Pulitzer Moke this year will travel through the major resort towns of the U.S., including Palm Beach, Naples, The Hamptons, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. To see one in person, visit the Lilly Pulitzer store at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, where a Moke is parked ioutside the store's entrance, inside the mall.
Disney
Just in time for the 65th anniversary but not necessarily part of the celebration, Lilly rolled out a new print designed exclusively for Disney.
The handpainted pattern — which features Mickey, Minnie and Cinderella's castle in shades of green, pink, orange and blue — is available in several styles at the Disney Springs Lilly Pulitzer store, Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts and online at shopdisney.com.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Lilly Pulitzer at 65: 3 collaborations kick off year of celebration
