65 Years of Creating Sunshine: Lilly Pulitzer, Then, Now, Always...

As the 65th Anniversary year begins to wrap up, it was imperative that we close out the celebration and look forward in the most iconic Lilly way, on the runway (and barefoot). When Lilly started selling her dresses 65 years ago, her playful nature, eye for color, rule-breaking fashion sensibility and Palm Beach appreciation could not be denied. The brand’s style aesthetic is iconic to Palm Beach, hence why we came home to show our Spring '25 Collection. A look back at George 'Slim' Aarons beloved images showcase the ease, effortless style, and joy Lilly created alongside her friends in early days. Today, we look ahead and celebrate the casual elegance, colorful charm, and sunny spirit that permeates through each whimsical collection. For Spring, the collection began with the essence of art, which is why we launched it on the Runway at the iconic Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. Ann Norton, like Lilly, was a strong female force, a trailblazer, and both were artists uniquely drawn to their craft. Our Spring '25 prints draw from the soft-handed watercolor art our designers create layered with overlapping bold and graphic heritage-inspired prints that radiate with the effervescent sprit of Palm Beach. Let’s go inside…

We hope you’ve joined us behind-the-scenes this week as we prepared for our 65th Anniversary Fashion Experience and opening of the Slim Aarons: Gold Coast exhibition at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. If you’ve missed a story along the way, we have you covered! Here’s the full scoop on our runway show, the party, the exhibit, and of course we’ll spill the juice on what’s coming in next year…

In the garden surrounded by oversized palms, flora, and fauna, our guests sat down for the runway show and enjoyed a welcome from Mary Aarons, Slim’s daughter, where she reflected on this historical exhibition and the iconic era of 1960s Palm Beach. Then the lights came up, the music hit, and we shifted into our future. The show opened with a one-of-a-kind maxi shift and was followed by 38 Spring 2025 looks, styled by Palm Beach stylist Katherine Lande. Here’s a look at some of the most showstopping moments, including familiar Palm Beach locals and Pulitzer family members, who we tapped into to debut something very special. 

And did you see something very new? Or perhaps, something from our past that’s been brought back? YES. By very popular demand, we are thrilled to welcome back a revival of Lilly Pulitzer Men’s Stuff, arriving in Spring 2025. Our freshly imagined menswear collection draws its name from what Lilly originally called her men’s apparel designs: Men’s Stuff. This revived collection is an ode to Palm Beach in the 1960s, when the first Men’s Stuff collections launched—which you can see captured in the Slim Aaron's "Gold Coast" exhibit! You’ll find heritage colors and prints, re-envisioned for the modern man via timeless styles that are rooted in Lilly’s resort club heritage. For an even deeper dive into this first drop of Men’s for 2025, you can browse the lookbook here. Want to be the first to know when this launches? Sign up for our Men’s Stuff email list here.

After the finale walk, it was time to open the exhibition! More of our brand friends, Norton supporters, and Palm Beach locals joined us as the models now showed a sneak peek of our upcoming 65th Anniversary Holiday Capsule, live painting by a Lilly artist, Wolffer rosé was flowing, 60s inspired music was turned up, but it was the first looks at Aaron’s never-before-seen photography that was the real show-stopper. Impromptu dancing, laughter, and an overall sense of joy & celebration filled the exhibit and the gardens. The exhibition is open through January and features dozens of Slim Aarons’ celebrated works alongside a selection of never-before-seen images recently pulled from his archive, including many of our Lilly, who was a frequent subject of Aarons’ lens. This new and exclusive exhibition is being organized by the wonderful Getty Images curator Shawn Waldron, manager of the Slim Aarons Archive and author of two best-selling monographs, “Slim Aarons: Style” (2021) and “Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection” (2023). There’s so much to see and learn, and we hope you head to Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens for a visit. The photography on display is available for purchase, and we’ll share additional details about future events with this special artists' garden and studio. To learn more visit: Exhibitions-2024-2025 | Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens. 

There’s so much more to share, photos to sift through, videos to watch, and other details to tell you about. And we will. For now, we’re going to bask in the glow of an incredible 65 years, enjoy a holiday season wrapped in sunshine, and we invite you to do the same xx

Style isn’t just about what you wear, it’s about how you live.” – LILLY PULITZER