We have been busy colouring designs in “Bright Pastels” which appears to be a case of tautology to the uninitiated. After some discussion we figured out that this was clean pastel shades that were then brightened up a touch which recalled the Florida designer Lilly Pulitzer.

Much like Mary Quant, this designer rose to fame in the 1960’s, born in New New State, her mother was the heiress to the “Standard Oil” fortune and the young Lilly went to school Jacqueline Kennedy. Her prints were extraordinary and fun aimed at the new young and fashionable set.

Lilly married Peter Pulitzer, of the Pulitzer prize family, and shortly after settled in  Palm Springs , Florida. They owned several orange groves and with the produce from the groves, she opened a fruit juice stand in Palm Beach. She found that squeezing juice made a mess of her clothes and seeking to camouflage the juice stains, she designed a sleeveless shift made of bright, colourful printed cotton. She discovered that her customers loved her dresses, so she produced more to sell at her juice stand. Eventually, she was selling more dresses than juice, and decided to focus on designing and selling what had now become known as her “Lillys”.

In 1959 Lilly founded her own company, Lilly Pulitzer, Inc. with the company’s main factory in Miami. The printed fabrics were produced by the Key West Hand Print Fabrics company. From the 1960s to the early 1980s, Pulitzer’s bright, colourful clothes were very popular, worn by the elite after Jackie Kennedy was featured in Life Magazine in one of Lilly’s famous shifts dresses. The Jacqueline dress is one of Lilly Pulitzer’s most successful styles. By 1984, Lilly closed down the entire clothing operation as interest waned.

In 1993, the rights to the brand were purchased by Sugartown Worldwide, Inc. Pulitzer was not involved in the day-to-day administration of the company, but she continued to serve in the role of creative consultant, approving new designs, fabrics, and collections, and branching out into other product lines. On April 7, 2013, aged 81, Lilly passed away but the company she founded continues with the same bright summery prints, suitable for Florida and following her motto that  “It’s always summer somewhere.”

Lilly Pulitzer 2019. All photos thanks to Lilypolitzer.com

“Fashion is not frivolous; it is part of being alive today” Mary Quant.

Quant at home on 1965. Photo: Keystone. http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Free your thoughts; don’t be confined by convention.

In the 1950s, fashion designer Mary Quant conquered the globe with the launch of the miniskirt, which would have been unthinkable before that time. Her original ideas and boundless curiosity had a big influence on the role of women in contemporary society.

Be free, be yourself. This spirit is part of our brand, and it will never change. <maryquant.co.uk>

Photo: Alamy http://www.vogue.co.uk

On 6th April 2019, the V&A will open the first international retrospective on the iconic fashion designer Dame Mary Quant. The exhibition will explore the years between 1955 and 1975, when Quant revolutionised the high street, harnessing the youthful spirit of the sixties and new mass production techniques to create a new look for women.

Quant personified the energy and fun of swinging London; and was a powerful role model for the working woman. Challenging conventions, she popularised the miniskirt, colourful tights, and tailored trousers – encouraging a new age of feminism. The mini skirt would go on to become an icon of the time and spark a new creative scene in London and beyond.

The V&A exhibition Credit: Julian Simmonds

From small boutique to international label, Quant revolutionised British fashion with energy, flair and rebellion. Mary Quant at the V&A will feature never before seen designs and provide an unrivalled insight into the career of one of Britain’s most revolutionary and important fashion designers.

https://www.instagram.com/maryquant_official/

telegraph.co.uk Credit: Michael Putland/Getty Images

From miniskirts and hot pants to vibrant tights and makeup, discover how Mary Quant launched a fashion revolution on the British high street, with over 200 garments and accessories, including unseen pieces from the designer’s personal archive.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk  Credit: PA Wire

“The whole point of fashion is to make fashionable clothes available to everyone.” Mary Quant

Twiggy: 1967. Credit: Cecil Beaton vogue.co.uk.           Credit: Getty Images vogue.co.uk

http://www.medium.com/@namanpalsingh/mary-quant-the-revolutioniser

Photographed by Just Jaeckin for Vogue’s April 1967 issue. Photo Credit: Just Jaeckin.

http://www.medium.com/@namanpalsingh/mary-quant-the-revolutioniser