Target's Next Big Collaboration: Lilly Pulitzer

Target's Next Big Collaboration: Lilly Pulitzer:

Lilly Pulitzer x Target. Photo: Courtesy

New year, new Target collaboration. First up for 2015: Palm Beach legend Lilly Pulitzer, whose unmistakable prints are scheduled to brighten up the retail floor starting April 19.

On Tuesday evening, editors were invited to the Pool Room at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City -- an apt location, to be sure -- to browse the 250 pieces of sunny South Florida paraphernalia. Priced from $25 to $250, with around 200 items under $30, this is a true lifestyle line, in the same vein as the retailer's collaborations with Liberty of London and Missoni. Yes, there are floral shift dresses, swimsuits and scarves, but there are also plates, lawn chairs, and beach umbrellas, all done in original, never-before-used prints designed by LP's in-house team.

The label's rabid fan base is sure to show up. But this collection, timed nicely to hit stores just before bikini season, is positioned to attract a whole new audience. For those who might not know her history: Pulitzer, who died in 2013 at age 81, was the mother of American resort-wear. (As in, stuff you wear on an actual resort, not the made-up fashion season.) The Tory Burch of her day, Pulitzer was an entrepreneurial socialite who spent most of her life living on Palm Beach. She started it all by accident, really, after friends began asking to buy the busy-print dresses she wore while manning her juice stand. (They camouflaged stains.) "We wanted bring this story of Lilly Pulitzer -- and how she created this style -- to everybody," said Jane Schoenborn, Lilly Pulitzer's vice president of creative communications, of the company's decision to pursue the partnership.

"Everybody," I'm happy to report, includes women with curvier figures. While many Target collaborations only go up to a size 16, there are plenty of plus-size options on offer here. "It's really important for us that we can provide stylish apparel for everybody, and we felt like this collection was the right time to do it," Stacia Andersen, senior vice president of apparel and accessories at Target, told me. "This project is so democratic. When we do these collaborations, there's a certain group of people that always really respond to them. But this, anybody can wear this. There's just such a range that anyone can find something that they love."

The product shots won't be released for a while yet, but click through the gallery below to get a glimpse of what'll be on offer April 19.