Choose954 Podcast Episode 47 With Lilly Pulitzer On Las Olas

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNEfkKvcglc&list=PLOQvdw7d0cd9RZZkd2lZy2hmrnJv-cfLI&index=54

Evan Snow: So we are back here on the Choose 954 podcast, episode 47, from the beautiful Lilly Pulitzer location on Las Olas with store managers Abigail Taylor. Thank you guys so much for joining us. If you didn’t know about Choose 954, we started a social movement to cultivate culture and community here in Broward County, to keep people in the know with all the great things going on and make this a better place to live, not just a better place to vacation.

The point of the podcast is to connect you with amazing people like them that are doing important things in their community and providing invaluable service, which we’re going to tell you about in a little bit. This podcast is brought to you by and sponsored by the Thousand Mermaids Artificial Reef Project, creating artistically crafted artificial reef modules to help save natural reefs, create research opportunities, ecotourism, and awareness. To find out more, you can log on to www.wymt.com.

Abigail Taylor: We opened about two years ago this October. We originally opened as a pop-up store, where we were going to have a temporary location from October to April, but we made such an impact on the community that they’re keeping our store as a permanent location. We’re going to have a store with a full build-out, sand wall paintings, and everything.

Evan Snow: I noticed the mural on the outside. I think that’s really cool too. Like you have so much color inside, and then you guys added color outside, really adding color to the boulevard. Can you tell us a little bit about the line and the brand and the story behind it?

Abigail Taylor: Yes, I think we definitely stand out in the retail market for our bright colors, patterns, and prints. We like to be that happy, uplifting brand for our customers. The mural outside has attracted a lot of people just for photo ops. All of our paintings in the store, and even those outside, are done by our in-house paint artist, who also does all the designs on our clothing.

Evan Snow: That’s awesome. What about what you guys are wearing today?

Abigail Taylor: I’m wearing a maxi dress from our first delivery of the fall resort collection. It’s an easy piece to wear, and one of the great things is you can wash it at home even though it looks delicate. Taylor is wearing one of our classic Lilly Pulitzer dresses.

Taylor: Yes, this is one of our classic chef dresses. Navy, white, and gold are our signature colors. Navy and white are nautical colors, which definitely fit the Fort Lauderdale lifestyle with all the yachting, boating, and outdoor life here.

Evan Snow: That’s really cool. Let’s talk about the Thousand Mermaids collaboration. You guys even have a mermaid print! Tell us about what we have here.

Abigail Taylor: Yes, this is also a chef-style dress. The print is called "Mermaid in the Shade." It’s a beautiful print with different mermaids throughout, and it was part of our fall delivery. It’s a multi-generational brand; we carry men’s, minis (for children), and women’s clothing.

Evan Snow: I didn’t know that! That’s awesome. You guys really cater to the whole family.

Abigail Taylor: Yes, and we have a new print called "Colorful Camouflage." It’s another classic style, and it’s perfect for families who want to match in a brand that lasts.

Evan Snow: Now that I know your brand better, I see how you’re adding life and color to women’s lives. Can you talk a little bit about Mrs. Pulitzer and how this all came about with the shop and share concept?

Abigail Taylor: Definitely. Lilly Pulitzer was married to Peter Pulitzer, and they moved to Palm Beach Island. She was a housewife, but she didn’t feel fulfilled. She was advised to start a hobby or job, so she started a juice stand using fruit from Peter’s orchards. But her clothes kept getting stained from the juice, so she had her seamstress make colorful prints to disguise the stains. People ended up wanting to buy the clothes more than the juice! From that juice stand, our first store opened on Worth Avenue, and we recently reopened a location there as well.

Evan Snow: That’s incredible. From a juice stand to 60 stores! And now you’re supporting local nonprofits through the shop and share concept.

Abigail Taylor: Yes, Lilly once said, "If you don’t have charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble." That’s something we live by. All of our stores participate in shop and shares, where we partner with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, preferably a local one, and give back 10% of proceeds to that organization during the event.

Evan Snow: That’s great. Our event benefiting Thousand Mermaids is next Thursday, August 29th, from 4 to 8 p.m. There will be light bites, champagne, and one of our mermaid selfie tails. I’ll be there to talk about the foundation and what we’re doing to help save the reefs. We just placed our first Thousand Mermaid Artificial Reef in the ocean this week, which is very exciting.

Abigail Taylor: That’s amazing!

Evan Snow: What’s one thing you’d like someone to know who hasn’t been into a Lilly Pulitzer store before?

Abigail Taylor: If someone hasn’t come in because they think it’s too bright or too colorful, I’d like them to know we have something for everyone. We even carry black at certain times of the year, and we have solid colors that transition well into any wardrobe. You never know what you might like until you try it on!

Evan Snow: I didn’t realize you have men’s clothing too!

Abigail Taylor: Yes, we have pieces for the whole family, including juniors. You can have the whole family styled together!

Evan Snow: That’s adorable! Where can people find you on social media?

Abigail Taylor: We have a website, LillyPulitzer.com, and an Instagram handle, @LillyPulitzer.

Evan Snow: Great! If you didn’t know, our Zero Empty Spaces initiative helps local artists by providing affordable studio spaces. If you’re an artist, check out zeroemptyspaces.com. We also host an artist potluck the last Sunday of every month at 914 Las Olas. Artists can collaborate, share struggles, and connect with like-minded people.

We also have our next Creative Zen event coming up on Friday, September 13th, featuring Paula Zvezina, a marine conservationist. It’s a free event with breakfast bites and coffee. We really hope you’ll join us!

Evan Snow: I’m Evan Snow. You can find me at @EvanSnow13 on Instagram, @Choose954, and @ZeroEmptySpaces. Don’t hesitate to reach out! We hope to see you on Thursday, August 29th, here at Lilly Pulitzer, from 4 to 8 p.m. Have a great day!