Pulitzer, Lilly (1931- 2013), was an American fashion designer based in Palm Beach, Florida. She was known for her instantly recognizable resort wear made in colorful prints. Her uncomplicated clothing designs provided the perfect base for the vivid tropical patterns she favored. Pulitzer was most famous for her signature sleeveless shift dress known as the “Lilly.”
Pulitzer was born Lillian Lee McKim into a wealthy family on Nov. 10, 1931, in Roslyn, New York. She was educated at elite (distinguished) schools. While on vacation in Palm Beach, she met Herbert “Peter” Pulitzer, Jr., the grandson of the newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer , founder of the Pulitzer Prize . Peter and Lilly eloped in 1952. They later had three children. The couple divorced in 1969. Shortly afterward, Lilly married the Cuban businessman Enrique Rousseau.
Lilly Pulitzer was considered unconventional for her social standing. The wealthy housewife operated a stand selling fruit juices she made from her husband’s citrus groves in Palm Beach. Pulitzer grew tired of fruit spills soiling her clothes and asked a dressmaker to design a simple dress from a bright dollar-store print fabric that camouflaged the stains. The dress was popular with customers, so Pulitzer had more made and began selling them at the juice stand. The dresses also appealed to Pulitzer’s upper-class female friends, and her idea soon launched her fashion career. One of her customers and former schoolmates, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy , wore a Lilly Pulitzer sleeveless shift in a photo shoot for Life magazine.
By 1969, Pulitzer’s modest business, which began with a few vibrant floral print dresses in 1959, had expanded into a global operation. She designed lines of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, as well as accessories. By the end of the 1970’s, however, the trend of bright prints had declined. In 1984, with sales slumping, Pulitzer closed her business.
Pulitzer sold her brand name in 1993, but she continued her association with the brand until shortly before her death on April 7, 2013. In 2015, Target Corporation released a limited-edition collection of Lilly Pulitzer merchandise that caused a shopping frenzy and sold out within hours.
