My Lilly Pulitzer

Meet Andrea Pugh-Kelly and Ciera Campbell, co-founders of Melanin in Lilly

Born and raised in Michigan, Andrea currently lives in Tallahassee, FL, where she’s a Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Science at Florida A&M. She’s married to her high school sweetheart; together, they’re raising their little Lilly Lover, Dorian, and teddy bear poodle, Chance the Puppy. She loves dressing the whole family in matching Lilly!

Ciera hails from the “sunniest” place on earth: Fort Lauderdale, FL. The youngest of three sisters, you’ll find her riding her bike or at the beach when she’s not creating content for a science museum. She loves Lilly clothing because it’s “a reflection of what I hope people see in me: bold, beautiful, and bright!”

Sunshine Spotlight

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How does wearing Lilly Pulitzer make you feel?

As the saying goes, “If you look good, you feel good.” Wearing Lilly Pulitzer makes us feel GREAT. It’s really hard to be down in such vibrant colors and bright, exciting prints. Wearing Lilly is a statement, and it always sparks a conversation among Lilly Lovers everywhere. Lilly Pulitzer is more than a fashion brand, it’s a family.

What does "Be the Sunshine" mean to you?

“Be the Sunshine” means choosing to live life on the bright side and spreading joy along the way. Creating Melanin in Lilly was an act of “Be the Sunshine” for us. We started Melanin in Lilly in the thick of the pandemic and social unrest, a time when we all surely needed a little sunshine.

Is there a message or mantra that inspires you?

Train your mind to see the good in everything.

What inspired you to start Melanin in Lilly?

The two of us met in the laundry room of McGuinn Hall at the historic Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. We were immediately attracted to Lilly Pulitzer because of our love for the first intercollegiate, historically African American Greek-lettered sorority: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. The pink and green of the 2016 Pink Pout Flamenco print was our hook, line, and sinker!

We created Melanin in Lilly to highlight black women and their love for Lilly Pulitzer. We saw an opportunity to hold space for women of color to be seen and feel even more included in a brand that they love and support. We seek to always promote diversity and inclusion by showcasing women of different shapes, sizes, and colors.

How do you use your platform to inspire the next generation?

We inspire the next generation by showing them that there's always a chance to create opportunities. When we launched Melanin in Lilly, we had no idea how enjoyable and impactful it would be. Just two weeks after launching, we hosted our first of many virtual shopping events to support a Signature Store. Our inbox is always full of women thanking us for creating a space where they see a reflection of themselves.