Dear Diary

Lilly Pulitzer’s brand renaissance of the last two years or so has been so much fun to watch. The vintage-inspired prints feel both fresh and classic Lilly. Loving it!

Here's a bit of background on Slim Aarons’ original fountain photo shoot and Nick Mele’s recent recreation.

In 1964, Slim Aarons captured a photograph that would come to define Palm Beach style forever: Lilly Pulitzer, smiling and barefoot, standing in a fountain at the 400 Building, surrounded by women in her jubilant, print-soaked shift dresses.

More than six decades later, that iconic scene returned to life.

This spring, photographer Nick Mele revisited the very same fountain to recreate the legendary image for Lilly Pulitzer’s Vintage Vault celebration. Known for his own vibrant, society-driven photography, Mele paid homage to Aarons’s composition while capturing a new generation of Palm Beach personalities dressed in both archival prints and modern designs.

The result is a living echo of the original: a tribute to the enduring spirit of Lilly Pulitzer and the timeless allure of Palm Beach.

Two photographs. One fountain. A style legacy that never fades.