Amanda Dalton, Michelle Kelly, Jane Paradis, Caroline Wright
#BeachBashPB is Here! What could be more fun than a tropical tryst with seven hundred of the loveliest lovies of Palm Beach who turn up so well turned out for the Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s fab Beach Bash. “Seas the Day” is the theme and this swinging soiree will rock the dock at The Beach Club. With Lilly Pulitzer generously sponsoring and Bruce Sutka designing, the visuals will be vivid, vibrant and vivacious. The event’s Co-Chairs Nick Kassatly and Kelly Ring as well as their Committee, Erin Devlin, Mira Fain, Lilly and Sean Ferreira, Ben and Chelsea Lasater, Bobby Leidy, Chris Leidy, Jack E. Lighton and Giovanni DiStadio, Maura McGuire, Maura Nelson, Stacy Nichols, Justin and Shannon Perez, Dina Turner, and Savannah Wentley will be transforming the club into a sea of excitement for the cause.
Melissa Sixma Lingo
Nick Kassatly & Stacy Nichols
We caught up with Co Chair Nick Kassatly who was incredibly excited about this year’s event, “This is my eighth year involved with this event and have watched it flourish and grow year after year. We are extremely grateful to Lilly Pulitzer for our partnership with them. The relationship embodies the brand’s dedication to philanthropy, ocean conservation and to the environment. The work that is done with the turtles locally has far reaching effects worldwide. We thank our generous supporters. This year’s Beach Bash will be the best yet!”
Kelly Ring and Noel Martinez
The exuberance of the Chairs is positively contagious. Kelly Ring explains the “Lilly or Louder” attire, “It is super fun to see new Lilly and old Lilly assembled from vintage shops and grandmothers’ and grandfathers closet and put together with style on this group of young philanthropists. They turn up, looking smashing for a cause that we all love. I think Lilly would be proud of this partnership and that she would love the brand’s embrace of Loggerhead Marine Life and the important work that they do. The ocean tells us the health of our world, and turtles tell us the health of the ocean. If the turtles aren’t healthy, we aren’t healthy.”
Although the story of Lilly Pulitzer and her rise to cult status is legendary, we never tire of it. Peter Pulitzer was the owner of orange groves, (see NOTE below) Lilly, never one to bother with convention, set up a stand on Via Mizner just off Worth Avenue selling freshly squeezed juice. As the tale is told, the juice proved to be a messy medium on Lilly’s frocks so she stitched brightly colored shifts to wear to work, some of them created from window curtains! The dresses grew more popular than the juice and thus the empire was founded.
Generations of families have grown up in the juicy brand.
NOTE: At one point in time, the entire interior of Florida was a sea of orange groves that have through the years been all but squeezed out by development.
Since Lilly has been dubbed “Queen of Preppy Style”, we consulted another member of the Royal Preppy Family, author Lisa Birnbach, for her expert keen observation of the breed.
“Lilly Pulitzer’s rollicking prints and blazing colors — which in any other world would be hard to ignore — can be worn as camouflage in Palm Beach. We love the joy and optimism that her clothing denotes. They suggest a good day at the beach followed by a fun night on the dock. They remind us of that afternoon at the club. They manage to be both legacy and future at the same time, as we buy our children tiny replicas of our sundresses.”
Another preppyster, my BFF K. Cooper Ray agrees, “My first memory of Lilly was a pair of swim trunks bursting with varying shades of pink, green, and baby blue. That must’ve been where I first absorbed the courage for color. Her pants were the original Go-to-Hell statement pants that I recall and set me on a course of GTH style that serves me well today, not only in clothing style, but speaking, writing, thinking and living. Thanks, Lilly. For a lifetime of color.”
It makes us “happy” that this historic brand has evolved to creating styles for modern gals. It continues to honor its individualistic founder with the most vibrant patterns and colors while continuing her philanthropic spirit. For what to wear, I chose a duo of sea-toned blue dresses with an undulating pattern then splashed bits of gold to the mix for a little glimmer.
dresses: Felizia $198 / Peighton One Shoulder $168
accessories: Coral Reef Earrings $48 / Sand Dune Tassel $48 / Seaside Necklace $88 / Cruisin Leather Crossbody $148
shoes: Kayla Wedge $198 / Gigi Wedge $198
Hilary has interpreted dress code in her own chic way. “I went gold and white, for the lady that wants to shine but doesn’t gravitate towards bright colors. For me Lilly is such a nostalgic brand, having grown up watching my mother and grandmother, Bunny duPont, decked out head to toe. As Lisa points out – it was the Palm Beach uniform”
dresses: Matilda Silk Tunic $248 / Diedra $298
accessories: Sand Dune Tassel $48 / Ana Wrap $118 / Ibiza Clutch $118
shoes: Gianvito Rossi $1895
Loggerhead Marinelife Center promotes conservation of ocean ecosystems with a focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. Situated on one of the world’s most important sea turtle nesting beaches it is open daily and hosts over 300,000 guests free-of-charge each year. For more information, visit www.marinelife.org or call 561. 627.8280.
In 2017, the Center named a patient “Lilly” in honor of its partnership with Lilly Pulitzer. The turtle was given a GPS tracker upon its release, which guests can follow.
If you are looking for a holiday gift for the child who has everything, why not Adopt a Turtle?
Photos Courtesy of Tracey Benson Photography
Go to NEW YORK SOCIAL DIARY to read the full article.
