Lilly Pulitzer to Offer Menswear Through Collab With Southern Tide
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Lilly Pulitzer has dabbled in menswear over the years but it’s getting more serious about the category this summer through a partnership with brother brand Southern Tide.
Both brands are owned by Oxford Industries and have a seashore aesthetic that is being mined for this collaboration.
More from WWD
The 16-piece collection of short-sleeved sport shirts, performance golf shorts and polos, swim trunks and boxers sport some of Lilly Pulitzer’s signature prints on Southern Tide’s best-known silhouettes.
“It is a match made in heaven,” said Michelle Kelly, chief executive officer of Lilly Pulitzer. “We offer product for sunup to sundown but we’ve never done men’s in a meaningful way.”
So after a casual conversation with Carey Ann Campbell, CEO of Southern Tide, and a big thumbs-up from the design teams at both brands, the discussion turned serious. “We jumped on it,” Kelly said.
Although Lilly Pulitzer has its roots in Palm Beach, Florida, while Southern Tide is based in Greenville, South Carolina, “at their core, both brands are coastal,” Kelly added. “Lilly skews more toward women, but there’s definitely some overlap” in terms of customers.
The Southern Tide x Lilly Pulitzer collection, which also includes childrenswear, showcases two original, hand-painted prints from Lilly Pulitzer. The first, “Lilly Loves SC” references quintessential South Carolina locations including Charleston, Kiawah Island, and the Hilton Head Lighthouse. The “Croc & Lock It” print juxtaposes flowy painted flowers with crocodiles drawn in a waxy watercolor crayon. This print also includes Southern Tide trademark Skipjack as well as the “Lilly” logo.
Both of these prints will also be available in Lilly Pulitzer’s women’s collection.
“We are thrilled to work alongside the creatives at Lilly Pulitzer as they make their debut into men’s resort activewear, a category in which Southern Tide has seen continued success,” said Campbell. “We look forward to expanding upon our innovative fabrics and styles, while connecting both brands to audiences with a love for the coast.”
The collection will be sold on the websites of both brands as well as at select Lilly Pulitzer and Southern Tide stores and other retailers, Campbell said. It will retail beginning at $38 for the menswear and $69.50 for the childrenswear.
The executives said that whether they will continue to work together in the future remains to be seen.
“We’ll see how the customer responds and go from there,” Campbell said. “We have high hopes,” Kelly added. “Our customers are always asking us to do menswear and we believe the quality, fabric and excellence in design will delight our customers.”
Lilly Pulitzer was founded around 1959 in Palm Beach, while Southern Tide had its beginnings in 2006.
Best of WWD
