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An Interview with Fashion Designer Janie Schoenborn

Conserving Coral with Style

"By educating consumers about the threats to ocean life, we can all begin taking steps to make a difference in preserving this precious resource." — Janie Schoenborn

U.S. clothing company Lilly Pulitzer has joined forces with SeaWeb's Too Precious to Wear campaign to highlight the need for coral conservation. Janie Schoenborn is the senior design director for print and pattern, brand presentation and accessories and footwear for Lilly Pulitzer. Coming from a family of Lilly wearers, her love affair with the brand started at a very young age: She remembers that classic Lilly shift her grandmother wore and loved so much, and so began her own obsession for "all things pink and green." Schoenborn, who joined the company in February 2006, talks about its commitment to causes such as coral and the motivations behind its new ocean-inspired designs.

SeaWeb: What is Lilly Pulitzer?

Janie Schoenborn: Lilly Pulitzer is an iconic American brand, with 50 years of heritage and a very multigenerational customer base. At Lilly, we say that our consumers "lead a colorful life." Lilly Pulitzer's brand vision is about combining distinct and colorful iconic prints with up-to-date fashionable resort chic trends. More importantly, we use our prints to build awareness and support around the charitable partners that we work with. We use our print designs to inform, inspire and empower our consumers to speak and act for all things Lilly Pulitzer loves, and to look great while doing it!

S: Why is Lilly Pulitzer working with SeaWeb and Too Precious to Wear?

A portion of the purchase price for this "Coral Me Crazy" necklace by Lilly Pulitzer will be donated to SeaWeb. Lilly Pulitzer

JS: We believe there is natural connection between SeaWeb and Lilly Pulitzer as our brand's brightly colored, whimsical prints are often inspired by the sea. It is particularly appropriate for our resort season as the theme behind our collection is titled "Escape to the Water's Edge." All of our prints will feature motifs inspired by the deep blue sea.

S: Does Lilly Pulitzer have a specific sustainability policy?

JS: One way we can help our planet Earth is to raise awareness and support for everything "Lilly Loves," and this year we are starting with the ocean, its creatures and the beauty that surrounds it. Using coral reefs, seashells, waves and sea creatures, our prints communicate the beauty of the ocean without harming it. Through our coral-inspired "Coral Me Crazy" medallion necklace, we aim to raise awareness for conserving one of our most precious natural resources.

S: How has your philosophy influenced the designs of Lilly Pulitzer?

JS: For our "Lilly Loves Green" year we are focusing on everything that Lilly has traditionally loved, and that starts with the ocean. The print team gets an enormous amount of inspiration from the ocean. It is so vital to our color palette and our print designs. We have books and books of pictures we have taken, and on cold winter days when we are working on resort chic or summer prints, we look through our snaps of the beach, the shells we have collected, the trips we have taken to visit different bodies of water. Fish. Whales. Octopus. It goes on and on. The pictures turn to sketches, the sketches turn to print and trims. We have cast coral in gold. We have used coral-colored enamel and resin. The ocean permeates our work.

S: How can the "Coral Me Crazy" line help consumers become more aware about issues facing the ocean?

JS: At Lilly Pulitzer, we know that coral preservation is vital for a healthy ocean. That's why we've teamed up with Too Precious To Wear, a SeaWeb campaign designed to empower consumers (and Lilly Lovers!) nationwide to create a demand for coral conservation. As part of Lilly Pulitzer's "Resort 2009" collection, our "Coral Me Crazy" medallion necklace evokes the beauty of the ocean without harming its living creatures. A portion of the sales of this necklace will benefit SeaWeb's Too Precious to Wear campaign.

The ocean's beauty inspired Lilly Pulitzer's latest collection, "Resort 2009." Lilly Pulitzer

S: What can consumers do to make sure corals and reefs remain healthy?

JS: Through our sea-inspired collection, Lilly Pulitzer and SeaWeb are protecting corals and raising awareness about the interconnectedness and value of all creatures in our living ocean. As a brand, the ocean is very near and dear to our hearts. Through our partnership with SeaWeb, Lilly lovers can learn that what we do everyday affects the ocean. By educating consumers about the threats to ocean life, we can all begin taking steps to make a difference in preserving this precious resource.

S: What are the next steps for Lilly Pulitzer's commitment to sustainability?

JS: In our brand's commitment to sustainability, Lilly Pulitzer will continue to use our print designs to educate and build awareness around causes that are near and dear to us. For the next year we will be celebrating "Lilly Loves the Ocean," as all of the prints in our Resort collection are inspired by the deep blue and all its beauty. In spring of 2010, we will be celebrating "Lilly Loves Endangered Species," as all of our prints are inspired by some of our favorite endangered wild animals. Continuing this trend into our future collections, we will continue to use our prints to inform, inspire and empower our consumers to speak and act for causes we love.

Janie Schoenborn, senior design director for print and pattern, brand presentation and accessories and footwear, for Lilly Pulitzer, has more than 10 years experience in the fashion and beauty industries, including stints at Adrienne Vittadini, Calvin Klein, and Barneys New York. As president of Buzz by Jane Fox, her own company, Schoenborn oversaw design, product development, production, sales and public relations for a preppy Florida-inspired handbag-turned-accessories company with distribution in major department stores and boutiques nationwide. She and her husband, Walter, reside in the Main Line area of Philadelphia and are the proud parents of two Lilly-loving daughters, Sabrina and Tiki.