What was Lilly Pulitzer’s net worth?
Lilly Pulitzer was an American socialite and fashion designer who had a net worth of $50 million at the time of her death in 2013.
Lilly Pulitzer was best known for her eponymous clothing brand. Specializing in bright, floral-print women’s apparel, the brand was hugely popular in the 1960s and ’70s, and was later revived with children’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories, stationery, and more. Among her other activities, Pulitzer penned a pair of lifestyle books with Jay Mulvaney. From the 1960s to the 1980s her clothing was worn by celebrities such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Caroline Kennedy, and members of families such as the Rockefellers, Whitneys, and Vanderbilts.
Pulitzer closed down the operation in 1984 but the rights were purchased by Sugartown Worldwide, Inc. in 1993 and the brand was revived. Target announced a collaboration with Pulitzer in 2015. Lilly Pulitzer passed away on April 7, 2013 at 81 years of age.
Early Life and Education
Lilly Pulitzer was born as Lillian McKim on November 10, 1931 in Roslyn, New York. For her higher education, she went to Finch College, a women’s college in New York City.
Career Beginnings
Pulitzer began her business career in the 1950s in Palm Beach, Florida, where she lived with her husband Herbert. The couple owned a number of orange groves in the state, and with produce from the groves opened a juice stand in Palm Beach. While working at the stand, Pulitzer found that her clothes got incredibly messy when she squeezed juice, and so she asked her dressmaker to design a dress that could camouflage the juice stains. She began selling the dresses at the stand, and eventually was selling more dresses than juice.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Lilly Pulitzer Inc., 1959-1984
In 1959, Pulitzer became the president of her eponymous clothing company, which had its main factory in Miami, Florida. The majority of the company’s prints were designed by Suzie Zuzek of Key West Hand Prints. With their bright colors and summery floral designs, Pulitzer’s clothes became hugely popular in the 1960s, remaining so throughout the 1970s as well. The clothes were worn by many famous figures, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and members of the prominent Rockefeller and Vanderbilt families. In 1984, Pulitzer closed down her brand.
Brand Revival
After lying dormant for almost a decade, the Lilly Pulitzer brand was purchased by Sugartown Worldwide in 1993 and was revived. In addition to its famed women’s clothing, the company also began producing children’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, swimwear, accessories, stationery, and more. In 2010, the company introduced an exclusive bridal collection. Lilly Pulitzer grew to encompass over 75 signature stores, known as Via Shops. The brand is also carried by many company-owned retail stores, as well as by such major department stores as Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. In 2015, Lilly Pulitzer collaborated on an exclusive collection with Target that sold out within hours.
Books
With author Jay Mulvaney, Pulitzer published a pair of lifestyle books: “Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining” and “Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Holidays.” She also released two desk calendar books: “Essentially Lilly 2005 Social Butterfly Engagement Calendar” and “Essentially Lilly 2006 Party Animal Engagement Calendar.”
Personal Life and Death
In 1950, Pulitzer married Herbert Pulitzer, the grandson of politician, publisher, and Pulitzer Prize namesake Joseph Pulitzer. The couple had three children named Peter, Minnie, and Liza before eventually divorcing in 1969. Shortly after the divorce, Pulitzer married Enrique Rousseau; they remained together until Rousseau’s passing in 1993.
On April 7, 2013, Pulitzer passed away at her home in Palm Beach, Florida. She was 81 years of age.
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