Design Hero: Suzie Zuzek: Season 1 Episode 6
Dawn and Katie discover a new-to-them “Design Hero": Suzie Zuzek, the textile designer behind the original Lilly Pulizer brand 1962-1985.
Photo capture from the Rizzoli Electa book Suzie Zuzek for Lilly Pulitzer (by Susan Brown and Caroline Rennolds Milbank) of the “Menagerie” pattern: the drawing print and on a shift dress.
From 1962-1985 the Lilly Pulitzer brand returned again and again to the colorful, playful, bold designs of Suzie Zuzek, a prolific textile designer at Key West Hand Print Fabrics. The mostly unsung talent behind the brand, Zuzek is at long last getting her due with both an upcoming exhibit of her work: Suzie Zuzek for Lilly Pulitzer: The Prints That Made the Fashion Brand at the Cooper Hewitt museum in New York and a companion book: Suzie Zuzek for Lilly Pulizer from Rizzoli Electa.
Zuzek came to the attention of Katie and Dawn over the winter, when news began to spread of the recently re-discovered archive of Zuzek’s work and the exhibit and book it inspired. Perhaps most best known for fashions, the Lily Pulitzer brand 1962-1985 also included home décor.
After seeing some samples of Zuzek’s dynamic, vibrant paintings of animals, flowers, and sea creatures, Dawn and Katie agreed that Zuzek and her textile designs would be a great subject for a “Design Hero” episode of the podcast.
Tune in to hear Dawn and Katie discuss what they learned about Zuzek and her work, and for some Shop Talk about the textile design and printing process of Zuzek’s era.
At the time of the podcast recording, the exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt was scheduled to open in May 2020; the opening has since been moved to June 10, 2021. Check back with the museum website for additional information.
The book and all related Zuzek Prints are © The Original I.P. LLC.
