SET OF TRANSPARENCIES

Custo Barcelona presented X-ray, its new Spring-Summer 2013 collection, today during New York Fashion Week. The collection invites viewers to conjure up the firm’s color and graphic universe through the filter of transparencies.

Custo Barcelona SS13 on the Catwalk

Created in the union of components to formulate one-of-a-kind fabrics and innovative textures, X-ray exudes architectural lines and sheer, comfortable volumes, together with pieces that hug more closely to the body. Graphics inspired by the seabed, the cosmos and the constellations are also prominent on the lighter pieces and can be found on mirror-like fabrics and silk and nylon transparencies.

Custo Barcelona SS13 on the Catwalk

Netting and tulle in bright colors also prevail as key fabrics in the collection, in coordination with metallic film prints, Lurex, elastic bands in various shades and geometric lace. Natural-fiber jacquards in fluorescent colors further form the basis of this new graphic collection by Custo.

Custo Barcelona offered a bright and varied palette in both the women’s and men’s collections, featuring everything from pastel colors and whites to the most acid of greens, streaked with daring strokes of black. All in all, it represented an avant-garde fusion of colors to form dresses, tunics, unstructured suits and even a swimwear line.

In accessories, the glasses were handmade from acetate in pastel tones with futuristic touches especially for the catwalk. The bags and watches played on the genuine, colorful geometric design and combined flawlessly with the palette used in the garments, making them the perfect final touch to top off the looks in X-ray.

Custo Barcelona SS13 on the Catwalk

The runway show was attended by a multitude of spectators, who did not want to miss a single detail of the new Custo Barcelona collection. Seated in the front row were Alexa Ray Joel, America’s Next Top Model Judge Jay Manuel, Celebrity Stylsit June Ambrose, Miss Universe Leila Lopes, Miss Teen  USA Logan West, Actor Vincent De Paul, and James Goldstein among many others.

 Photo credits: Ugo Camera

 

 

Custo Barcelona SS13 Catwalk

Custo Barcelona SS13 on the Catwalk

Custo Barcelona SS13 on the Catwalk

Day 9: Another Shade of Pink

Guiding Light Resort White Grace Short

The Guiding Light print came in  multiple cuts for the Summer 2012 collection of prints. I am sure you will be able to still find this print in stores (I recently purchased these shorts at the KOP store) and online.

The print comes in a variety of cuts which include but are not limited to: Buttercup, Grace (as pictured) and Bermuda Short, Callie Skirt, Marigold Skort, Little Lilly Classic Shifts and Kelsea dresses – as well as an array of adult dress cuts. This is a popular print and so easy to pair with a multitude of colors – given the prints variety.

Guiding Light Print Summer 2012

 

 

 

 

 

I came across this story, below is an excerpt, while looking for more interesting facts on Lilly and the brand. After reading it, I wonder if the author ever really live the brand? As I find wearing the prints makes for a brighter day all the way around – even on those gray days!

If I am in NYC and wearing Lilly, I get more smiles and “Hellos” compared to a day in Black (which I have spent many)…just saying…but I truly love the brand and glow when it is on.

Palm Beach Story: Lilly Pulitzer Is Bizarrely Fascinating By Sadie Stein Dec 2, 2008 2:20PM “Of course, was Lilly Pulitzer really ever anything but a lifestyle brand? Did people ever really love wearing luridly-colored monkeys and sea-horses? Yes, the prints were cheerful, but when you see a Lilly Pulitzer, you think “Lilly Pulitzer” and that has surely always been the point. To wear one of her dresses was to momentarily be a part of a world where sporting goofy, unflattering clothes is a mark of dashing, privilege-bred confidence, the very definition of the uniform of an insider. Its appeal now is nostalgic. As W puts it, “the Palm Beach social swirl that Rousseau recalls—in which counts sat next to carpenters at her dinner parties and, as she relishes telling, Kennedy spoon-fed John-John on her kitchen floor—has an almost mythic quality, one she laments no longer exists.” But to most of us, the nostalgic appeal is at least as much for a character like Pulitzer’s as for anachronistic high society. She was, of course, inseparable from that privilege, and hers was a success inexplicably linked with her connections, friends, and lifestyle. But the old-fashioned no-nonsense sense of entitlement is also what allowed Pulitzer to build a successful business in a man’s world, divorce her husband and move out on her own, where many women would have been happy to leave dresses as a pleasant sideline to a socialite’s life. She took her lifestyle and made it a business. Everything about her story — from the world that inspired it, to the entitlement that encouraged it, to the scope of the achievement — is part of a long-gone world. This, as much as the unapologetic silliness of the clothes themselves, is a fascinating glimpse to another time for the rest of us. “

Day 8: Day Lilly

Pink Day Lilly Synched Sleeve V-neck Tee, in a Slubby Cotton Jersey by Lilly Pulitzer ®

With bluebird skies and the tempature on the rise. There was a definite need to dress cool and breezy today. Plus we were shooting Fall 2012 Christopher & Banks Flats (a.k.a. Laydowns) in Studio B today – so the need to move around on the floor (oh so glam, but great creative exercises which I love to do) was a necessity!

I choose the Pink Day Lilly Synched Sleeve V-neck Tee, in a Slubby Cotton Jersey by Lilly Pulitzer ® (as shown from the back). the V is cut on both the front and the back sides of this tee. The cotton is cool and I never get overheated in this Tee. I paired the Day Lilly printed tee with a flowey Linen Skirt and my Pierre Dumas leather sandals with a cut out flower detail.

This is a wonderful short video on the actual making of the print:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llhw1sW6y_M

Also, here is more background information on the creation of this wonderful print, from the Lilly Blog: A COLORFUL BLOG
Fresh Petals and Prints – The Lily

1. All a Flutter 2. Powder Puff Embroidery 3. Call Me Kitty 4. Day Lilly 5. Pink Twinkle

“Celebrating the Lily flower was a no-brainer during the Lilly in Bloom year – the Lily is one of Lilly’s favorite flowers! Of course the print designers at Lilly Pulitzer love them too because they have so much to work with – there are so many varieties they could work with.  But… the Lily they all fell in love with, the one they’ve captured in the “Day Lilly” print, is the Stella de Oro. It’s beautiful, it’s delicate and it smells great but they ADORE the fact that it blooms all summer long- just like Lilly girls! (well duh, Lilly girls bloom all year but that’s a lot to ask of flowers!)  Find out more about these stunning stems!

Lilies come in many different colors: whites, oranges, yellows, pinks, reds and purples, but the white ones actually have the highest level of fragrance while some of the other very colorful ones do not have any scent at all- who knew?!

If you want to prolong the life of your very pretty Lily flowers, remove the pollen stems! You can easily do this by pinching them together and pulling them out.”

(Click on the link below to be read the full blog)
Fresh Petals and Prints – The Lily
Posted on February 29, 2012 in Prints and Patterns by lillyit

Knot Now

2003 Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Awareness Scarf designed by Lilly Pulitzer herself.

Day 7: I should have worn this scarf yesterday in honor of Henry Ford’s Birthday – but did not – so better late than never! In 2003 Ford Motor Company may have picked the most fashion-forward item to design in in honor or Breast Cancer Awareness and to raise money for the cause itself. The car company hooked up with Palm Beach, Fla. based designer Lilly Pulitzer lillypulitzer.com.

Pulitzer designed a limited-edition, 100 percent silk-crepe scarf in her signature pink-and-green hues, (called the 2003 Ford Breast Cancer Awareness Scarf ). The 12-by-56 inch rectangular scarf is covered with delicate butterflies and flowers. All the proceeds from the $30 scarf were donated to the Komen Foundation. Net proceeds from scarf sales alone raise more than $1 million for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Lilly Facts:
In January 1993, the Lilly Pulitzer line was revived- after being in retirement since 1984. Now, Lilly Pulitzer is more popular than ever! The Lilly Pulitzer line is now available in 75 Signature Shops, major department stores, and fine specialty stores nationwide. Its popularity continues to grow among those who knew it years ago and those who have just discovered the timeless fun of Lilly Pulitzer apparel. Lilly is alive and well today. She often entertains her various family members and friends in her home in Palm Beach, which she affectionately calls “The Jungle.”

 

Greens with Envy

Black Greens with Envy V-neck Westerly Dress from the Resort 2011 Collection. I picked this little number up at the Warehouse sale this summer. Very Comfortable and easy to wear – as is all Lilly

Day 6: Tasked out in Studio B today to dress the mannequins with tops and such  – made for an easy breezy day!  Jealous? Since there would be minimal bending over – it was a perfect Monday to wear a dress. I choose the Westerly Black Greens with Envy Jersey Dress with long sleeves, v-neck and removable sash. Usually this is paired with 100% Black Jack Rogers – unless there is a business meeting then a pair of heels will snazz it up! The print is quite busy, so a plain heel is fine.

This print also came in two other dress cuts, a plain wrap and a wrap with ruffled detail.  The jersey makes it so easy to move about without making a fuss of the fabric. If you can find the dress in any of the three cuts, I highly recommend you add to your collection! You will love.

Frontal View of the Black Greens with Envy Westerly Dress from the Resort 2011 Collection. This dress also came in a wrap and a wrap with ruffle.

Lilly Facts:

The earlier dresses of the 1960′s were 100% cotton and usually had metal zippers. 

Key West hand printing was used to produce some of the fabrics. Sometime in the mid to late 1960s Lilly Pulitzer started using a 65% Poly/35% cotton blend.  These later 1960s dresses usually have nylon zippers. Also, in the late 1960s, Lilly Pulitzer started making garments besides dresses, such as shorts, casual tops and slacks.

Lilly Pulitzer did a little girl’s line, named for her daughter, Minnie, and a junior line named for daughter, Liza.  Accessories, such as hats made to match the garments were added.  A Mens line was established in the early 1970s.  The company also began to use other fabrics, such as printed cotton and polyester knits. As a general rule, the earlier Lilly labels are orange, and the ones after the mid 70s are green. 

Direct from Lilly Pulitzer© : “There were a few different labels in the early years including green and orange. The changes were more likely whimsical modifications than major branding strategies. Unfortunately, when Lilly Pulitzer retired in 1984 to spend more time with her family, a lot of documentation was lost so we are unable to provide fully accurate information on specific dates and changes such as these. We can tell you that after the brand was revived, the current label (which is actually a dark navy font on the ivory background) was introduced in the spring of 1994.”

Swim Suit Meetings

True Navy Mini Touchy Feely One Piece Cinched Swim suit. The Mini Touchy Feely was developed for the 2011 Resort Collection

What better way than to spend a relaxing weekend afternoon sitting around the pool playing mahjong with old friends. This super cute octopus print called Mini Touchy Feely in True Navy a Cinched One Piece Swim Suit is perfect for the beach, an exotic resort, or even a friendly game of mahjong poolside. Lilly Pulitzer swimwear will elevate your style quotient and hopefully intimidate your opponents – and if not  – maybe they will  be too busy looking at how cute you are for the day! This suit offers comfort, coolness and the option to jump in the water at any time should things get too heated on or off the table.

 

 

Lilly Pulitzer True Navy Mini Touchy Feely Cinched One Piece Swim Suit side view.

 

The Mini Touchy Feely was created as part of the “Lilly in Bloom.“ 2011 Resort collection, the suit itself comes in both a one piece and bikini. If you are lucky you might be able to still find this print on the Sale rack in your local “Lilly”  store.  I found mine at the beginning of summer and saw it still in the store – just this past Friday.

Lilly Pulitzer True Navy Mini Touchy Feely Bikini Resort 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot locate an exact date as to when “Lilly” included swim into her lines – guessing sometime in the 60′s. I did find a picture from the following video: http://youtu.be/gTpE4RveEMQ

 

Lilly Facts: An excerpt from an article in the Baltimore Sun 1994:

“She doesn’t like reading magazines and looking at what other designers are doing. She does what’s in her heart and spirit. Getting that Lilly spirit is what customers want. She’s always calling us up and saying, ‘Make it real goony,’ ” said Ms. Gary, who consulted with Lilly on all phases of design.

“And if she doesn’t like it, she comes right out and says so: ‘Ugh! I hate it.’ “

Swimsuit staff meetings

When Ms. Gary and her design assistant arrived at Lilly’s Palm Beach home for a meeting, they were instructed to strip down to their swimsuits. “Half our work got done while the three of us were sitting in the pool,” Ms. Gary said.

What better way to capture that goony Lilly spirit?
(for the full article please click on the link below)
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1994-06-09/features/1994160019_1_lilly-pulitzer-palm-beach

Going Boho

Lilly Goes Boho – print from summer 2009

In the summer of 2009, with the James Printed Slub, Lilly goes Boho.

These pants are a hit no matter when or where I wear them. They make your hiney look tiny which is always good in my book! In fact while wearing them I actually had a woman offer to buy the pants off me as she missed the 2009 sale and wanted them bad…of course I said no, sorry (thinking there is no way I am going home without my pants on…jeez).

Today I am sporting these pants with my ancient Tod’s leather sandals from 2003(?) and a white cable knit Ralph Lauren sweater…(hey it’s cold in the studio at times.)

Lilly Facts: Suzie Zuzek dePoo, her daughters Amy and Martha dePoo, surrogate daughter Leigh Martin Hooten and Peter Pell created the designs used exclusively by Lilly Pulitzer from 1960 to 1985.

Lilly and Peter Pulitzer settled in Palm Beach, Florida, shortly after their marriage. Peter owned several Florida citrus groves, and with produce from the groves Lilly opened a juice stand on Via Mizner, just off Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.

In the course of working at the juice stand, Lilly found that squeezing juice made a mess of her clothes. Seeking to camouflage the juice stains, she designed a sleeveless shift dress made of bright, colorful printed cotton. Lilly found that customers loved her dress, so she produced more in order to sell them at her juice stand. Eventually, she was selling more dresses than juice, and decided to focus on designing and selling what had become known as her “Lillys”.

In 1959, Lilly became president of her own company, Lilly Pulitzer, Inc. The company’s main factory was located in Miami, Florida and the fabrics were produced by the Key West Hand Print Fabrics company in Key West.

From the 1960s to the early 1980s, Pulitzer’s bright, colorful clothes were very popular, worn by elites such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her daughter Caroline Kennedy, and members of the Rockefeller, Vanderbilt and Whitney families. However, by 1984 Pulitzer felt she was not having as much fun as she used to and retired, closing down her entire clothing operation.

In 1993, the rights to the brand were purchased by Sugartown Worldwide, Inc.They contacted Pulitzer with the hopes of reviving the brand because, “they just loved Lilly, their mothers and sisters loved Lilly, and they wanted to bring the line back,” Pulitzer said.  Pulitzer is not involved in the day to day administration of the company, but she continues to serve in the role of creative consultant, approving new designs, fabrics, and collections, and branching out into other product lines.

Today, the company maintains 75 Lilly Pulitzer Signature Stores (also known as Via Stores), several company-owned retail stores, sells to independently owned stores and is in major department stores such as Bloomingdales, Lord and Taylor, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. On December 21, 2010, Sugartown Worldwide, Inc. was purchased by Oxford Industries, Inc.

Day 3: Strike A Pose

Here I am wearing the Crane Pose Ponte Jonah Dress from Lilly Pulitzer holding a hot pink origami crane.

A Crane pose that is. It is a go-to on those mornings when I want to look good and don’t want to think too hard on what to wear. This posh ponte is has been my obsession since I bought this dress last year at the annual warehouse sale!

Forearm length printed with color blocking in white and navy detailed sleeves with hot pink trim on arms and a two button detail on the left shoulder. The dress comes with a removable reversible sash. I usually pair it with a hot pink pashmina and my hot pink/white trim Jack Rogers. If I am going out after work and want to dress it up I might pair with a cute little kitten heel.

I have no idea where the signature “Lilly” is in the print I’ve looked for it every time I put on this dress and have yet to find it in the past year. Is it possible Lilly decided to divert from that little detail on this dress? I am beginning to think – YES!

And now for some quick Lilly facts (for those of you young ones who have never heard of the legend…ehhhhhhemmmmm – no names shall be revealed…all I can say is….shocked…

Lillian Pulitzer Rousseau (born Lillian Lee McKim on November 10, 1931), better known as Lilly Pulitzer, is a socialite and fashion designer. She is known for founding Lilly Pulitzer, Inc., which produces clothing and other wares featuring bright, colorful, floral prints. Because the brand has been very popular with high society, Lilly has been called the “Queen of Prep.”

1962 – Jackie Kennedy photographed wearing a Lilly on vacation with the first family.

Lilly Pulitzer opened a juice stand in Palm Beach Florida where she decided to make colorful dresses to hide the stains. These dresses were sleeveless. Pulitzer’s schoolmate First Lady, Jackie Kennedy wore one of the dresses while on vacation. After Kennedy was photographed, people everywhere wanted the dresses designed by Pulitzer.

Today colors on the dresses are always chosen first for the design.

When Life Hands You Lemons

Day 2 in Lilly: When life hands you lemons a natural reaction is to make Lemon Aid…there has been plenty of Lemon Aid to go around for all.

Trying to juggle lemons in the this Lilly Pulitzer White Citron Print Skirt and Lime Green Sleeveless Tee.

This Lilly Pulitzer skirt print is the White Citron Citrus Fruit paired with a sleeveless tee in lime green.  Circa 2005 – I am guestimating my time of purchase….

The Citron Citrus print also came in a Capri pant, a Blanche Dress, Skirt (as shown) and another little Skirt with ribbon detail at the waist.

Becoming a Lilly Pulitzer collector is fun and easy.  Once you’ve acquired one piece and seen the great dressmaker workmanship and details, you’ll want to have many others.  Some collectors go after certain prints  or color combinations because of their themes or their rarity or certain styles because of their popularity.  Some collectors prefer vintage Lilly items which date from the late nineteen sixties to the mid nineteen eighties.  Lilly closed her business for several years, not reopening it until 1993.

Starting around 1997, each Lilly print, solid color and style has a name.  The official pattern names begin with the color and then the pattern name, except for the muli-patch prints.  However, very few names are known prior to the 2000 collection.  Whatever you select, you will acquire a beautiful garment which you will enjoy.  Lilly Pulitzer clothes can actually appreciate in value if you pick carefully!

This Lilly Pulitzer White Citron Print is from the 2004/2005 collection. See if you can find the signature Lilly in the pattern.

Lilly is known for her pink and green color combinations but she other wonderful color combinations as well.  The other wonderful thing about most Lilly prints is that the word “Lilly” is hidden in the pattern.  Sometimes it stands out but other times it is a challenge to find. Once you locate the signature it is unmistakable.

30 Days of Lilly

Just because this summer has been long, hot and dismal – I thought I would do something fun to perk up my days. So for the next 30 days I will be bringing you a Lilly Pulitzer look and hopefully a smile to your face.

Day 1: My most comfy of Lilly dresses so easy to dress up or down – I chose to dress it down today and pair with a cami underneath because the v-neckline is not work appropriate and since we are shooting forms and wanted to be able to move easily.

You hold the key to unlocking the look. Who would have guessed it would be as easy as a simple dress? Navy blue with white lock and chain print stretch ponte.
V- neckline with gathered waist and bell sleeves. Super comfy and a great way to kick off Day 1!