{"id":103009,"date":"2026-01-02T07:24:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T07:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/103009\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T07:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T07:24:11","slug":"florida-and-fashion-go-hand-in-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/103009\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida and fashion go hand in hand"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Palm Beach socialite Lilly Pulitzer and her colorful shifts have long been associated with Florida fashion. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

Most Floridians know the juicy story behind fashion icon Lilly Pulitzer. She developed her splashy patterns to hide citrus spills on her clothing. Now her designs are a mainstay in the annals of fashion history.\n<\/p>\n

The Palm Beach socialite and her colorful shifts have long been associated with Florida fashion. Pulitzer set the stage for Floridian fashion when she became president of her company, Lilly Pulitzer, Inc., in 1959. With fabrics produced in Key West, the Palm Beach resident saw her designs on Jackie Onassis and her daughter Caroline Kennedy, as well as members of the Vanderbilt and Rockefeller families.\n<\/p>\n

But our state is home to many more fashion brands that found their footing in Florida.\n<\/p>\n

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Lilly Pulitzer is so popular in Palm Beach County, Lilly lovers have created an entire weekend devoted to it. -DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES \/ COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

Over ten years ago, the late Matlacha artist Leoma Lovegrove began collaborating with Beall\u2019s department store on her signature collection. Naples Jewelry designer Amanda Jaron, long recognized for her metal and gem work, has branched off into an apparel and accessories collection. And industry leader, the Chico\u2019s FAS group, which includes Chico\u2019s, White House Black Market and Soma brands, is headquartered in Ft. Myers.\n<\/p>\n

Now in its fourth decade, the Chico\u2019s company is a source of pride for South Florida. Founded in 1983, the brand has a strong following and name recognition. \u201cI remember shopping at the very first Chico\u2019s when we would come down here for vacation in the \u201880s,\u201d says Bonita resident Trudy Gundersen. \u201cWe didn\u2019t even live here yet, but we would take the family to Sanibel, and I remember the original store. It was on Periwinkle.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Chico\u2019s founders Marvin and Helene Gralnick, who met in Guadalajara, Mexico, brought their love of Mexican folk art to Sanibel in 1983. In Periwinkle Place, they opened a gift shop called Folk Art Specialties (FAS). The name soon changed to Chico\u2019s and eventually became the successful clothing boutique.\n<\/p>\n

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Chico\u2019s at Coconut Point, Estero. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN \/ FLORIDA WEEKLY<\/p>\n

By 1992, the company had expanded to 60 locations and began designing the prints and patterns for which it is now recognized. Fast forward to 2001, when the Chico\u2019s FAS Founders building opened in Ft. Myers and Chico\u2019s FAS debuted on the New York Stock Exchange.\n<\/p>\n

Sycamore Partners acquired Chico\u2019s FAS, in January 2024. Following the acquisition, Chico\u2019s FAS became part of Sycamore\u2019s KnitWell Group, which includes Ann Taylor, LOFT, Talbots and other fashion stalwarts.\n<\/p>\n

Director of PR and Corporate Communication Courtney Gillan Forand says customer input is what has made the brand so beloved in Florida and nationwide.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOur design teams stay closely connected to consumer feedback, preferences, and lifestyle needs \u2013 listening to what she loves, how she lives and what she is looking for in her wardrobe,\u201d Forand explains. \u201cThey blend that customer understanding with thoughtful innovation so that they can consistently deliver what she comes to us for: flattering fit, versatility, and comfortable, trend-right styles.\n<\/p>\n

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Lilly Pulitzer at Coconut Point, Estero. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN \/ FLORIDA WEEKLY<\/p>\n

In September, industry expert Trish Donnelly was selected as the company\u2019s new CEO. \u201cThis week I officially started in my new role with KnitWell Group as Division CEO for Chico\u2019s FAS. It\u2019s a transformative time in retail, and I\u2019m looking forward to collaborating with the incredible teams at Chico\u2019s, Soma, and White House Black Market as we write the next chapter of growth for our brands.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

And the brand is showing no signs of slowing down. \u201cThe opportunities ahead are extraordinary, and I look forward to partnering with the teams to write the next chapter of growth and success for our brands,\u201d adds Donnelly.\n<\/p>\n

Designer Amanda Jaroun says the Florida lifestyle inspires creativity. Jaron parlayed a design background into a successful jewelry and accessories line.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cUnlike other places I\u2019ve designed for,\u201d she says, \u201cNaples\u2019 clients truly embrace custom artwork. People come to Naples to be happy. Many of us arrive with black and gray wardrobes from up north, and suddenly the sunshine brings out a love for bright, joyful color.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

That quality is evident in Jaroun\u2019s designs.\n<\/p>\n

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White House Black Market at Coconut Point, Estero. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN \/ FLORIDA WEEKLY<\/p>\n

\u201cMy clients want pieces that celebrate what we love about Naples and what we love about life in general. My very first art commission growing up on Clearwater Beach was designing T-shirt graphics for a local surf shop. It is that bright beachy vibe that feels appropriate for clothing inspired by this environment, even decades ago,\u201d Jaroun says.\n<\/p>\n

The designer agrees that the future looks as bright as the fabrics inspired by our sunny surroundings. \u201cI\u2019ve lived in Naples for over 20 years and have spent years sketching Naples iconography simply because I love this city,\u201d she says. Those sketches later became the foundation for many of her jewelry designs and now her fashion designs. \u201cNaples\u2019 clients embrace that joy, that color, and that personal connection,\u201d she continues. \u201cTheir enthusiasm makes designing jewelry and now, fashion for this community incredible.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

From Palm Beach polish to Sanibel ease and Naples\u2019 art-forward spirit, Florida\u2019s fashion story has always been shaped by lifestyle. These brands, whether global names or homegrown labels, are created for how people live in South Florida.\n<\/p>\n

Florida fashion continues to evolve, growing into a recognizable aesthetic widely embraced far beyond state lines, and shaped by sunshine.\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Palm Beach socialite Lilly Pulitzer and her colorful shifts have long been associated with Florida fashion. -COURTESY PHOTO…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":103010,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":{"0":"post-103009","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cape-coral","8":"tag-cape-coral","9":"tag-cape-coral-headlines","10":"tag-cape-coral-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}