KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Lilly Pulitzer, the iconic Palm Beach-inspired fashion brand, is announcing a partnership with the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), the leading women’s sport worldwide. Set to begin this month, the two brands are uniting for a youth empowerment initiative, aimed to inspire confidence and optimism in future generations as part of Lilly’s new “Be the Sunshine” campaign.
Lilly Pulitzer will also serve as the WTA’s exclusive fashion uniform provider throughout the 2020 season. Beginning this March, Lilly Pulitzer will outfit the WTA corporate courtside team members at tournaments, including chair umpire officials and sport science and medicine teams.
Lilly Pulitzer’s “Be the Sunshine” campaign will launch with a $50,000 donation to WTA’s philanthropic arm, WTA Charities. Throughout the 2020 campaign, Lilly Pulitzer and WTA Charities will invest dedicated resources to promote positivity and inspire confidence in local WTA communities through WTA Charities programs.
Lilly Pulitzer CEO Michelle Kelly stated, “We are thrilled to be the official fashion supplier of the WTA this year. Lilly Pulitzer and the WTA are joining forces to encourage future generations to be the sunshine in their communities, both on and off the court.”
Headlining the campaign this spring is WTA tennis legend and Lilly Pulitzer brand ambassador, Tracy Austin. “Creating and maintaining a positive attitude is a practice we can all benefit from,” said the former WTA World No. 1 Tracy Austin. “And the best part about putting this state of mind into practice is that it’s truly infectious. The more positivity and confidence I can help generate in young girls and encourage the next generation to ‘Be the Sunshine’ inside and out, the brighter our future will be.”
Through WTA Charities’ existing youth empowerment initiatives, Austin and other WTA players, legends and coaches will take part in this campaign.
WTA President Micky Lawler added, “Lilly’s mission to spread joy resonates with the WTA, from our corporate teams to fans. Through Lilly Pulitzer’s support of WTA Charities, our charitable programs such as Come Play, Serving Outside the Lines and our Community Fund will have an even deeper impact on the local communities we serve.”
On International Women’s Day, March 8, Lilly Pulitzer will donate 20% of its Prosecco Pink Fronds Place tennis collection sales in store and online to WTA Charities as they and the WTA host an event with Tracy Austin at the Lilly Pulitzer’s pop-up store in Palm Desert. Lilly Pulitzer CEO Michelle Kelly and WTA President Micky Lawler will also host a Facebook Live panel discussion during the event, focused on female leadership and the importance of inspiring positivity through female sports.
Fans of the WTA and its charitable efforts can learn more by visiting www.wtatennis.com/wta-charities. Lilly Pulitzer’s tennis collection is also available for purchase at Lilly Pulitzer retail stores and on www.lillypulitzer.com.
ABOUT LILLY PULITZER
Lilly Pulitzer speaks to generations of rule-breaking, sun-followers who celebrate the spontaneous bohemian spirit of Lilly Pulitzer. The company’s effortless fashions are truly born from an original. It all happened by accident, when in 1959-ish Lilly (McKim) Pulitzer—a stylish Palm Beach hostess and socialite whose husband Peter Pulitzer owned several Florida citrus groves—needed a project of her own. With Peter’s produce, she opened a juice stand on Via Mizner, just off Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. Lilly Pulitzer’s business was a hit, but squeezing oranges, lemons, limes, and pink grapefruit made a mess of her clothes. Realizing that she needed a juice stand uniform, Lilly asked her dressmaker to design a dress that would camouflage the stains. The result? A comfortable sleeveless shift dress made of bright, colorful printed cotton in pink, green, yellow and orange. Although her customers liked Lilly’s juice, they loved her shift dresses. Soon Lilly was selling more shift dresses than juice, so she decided to stop squeezing and focus on designing and selling her “Lillys.” Lilly Pulitzer became a fashion sensation and a creator of authentic American resort wear as we know it.
ABOUT THE WTA
Founded by Billie Jean King in 1973 on the principle of equal opportunity for women in sports, the WTA is the global leader in women’s professional sport with more than 1,650 players representing 84 nations competing for a record $180 million in prize money. In 2019, the WTA was watched by a record-breaking global audience of 700 million. The 2020 WTA Tour includes 53 events and four Grand Slams, spanning across six continents and 28 countries and regions. The season culminates with the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, offering a $14 million total prize purse and honoring the season’s top singles and doubles players. Further information on the WTA can be found at www.wtatennis.com.
