NEW YORK — Lilly Pulitzer, the collection of choice for socialites from New England to Palm Beach, will continue to roll out its Concepts line, which was introduced in the resort 2004 collection.
Concepts is a subsegment of Lilly Pulitzer’s Collection line, but it features more fashion-forward looks than Collection, known for its signature bold prints and bright colors. Concepts’ styles carry higher price points and more luxurious fabrics such as silk charmeuse, cashmere, chiffon and stretch Orleans cotton. Key looks for spring include wide-leg linen pants, silk charmeuse halter dresses and cashmere and wool sweaters with rhinestone embellishment.
“Lilly Pulitzer has a really strong heritage,” said Sandi Davidson, vice president and creative director for Lilly Pulitzer. “We wanted to pay attention to that look, but we also wanted to fit all lifestyle needs.”
Davidson expects Concepts to bring a level of newness to the brand by expanding how consumers view Lilly Pulitzer.
“We’re really known for vibrant prints, but we want to provide more fashion pieces to our customer. Now, we have a small product assortment that could really excite our customer,” Davidson said, adding that “cotton poplin dresses weren’t special enough in her mind.”
Collection’s spring line consists of roughly 200 pieces, 30 to 40 of which will be Concept pieces. The wholesale price range of the Concepts line is between $25 and $220, compared with that of Collection, which ranges from $21 to $90.
“What I really love about Concepts is that it’s consistent with the brand,” she said. “It’s somewhat experimental and it’ll be interesting to see the evolution of it, but it could be an opportunity for us. It can elevate the Collection and allow us to explore different ways to do it.”
“It’s fun, as a designer, to stretch the boundaries a little,” she added.