By: Rodney Sparrow
Lilly Pulitzer is proud to announce its partnership with the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF), uniting fashion, optimism, and purpose to support groundbreaking neuroscience research and raise mental health awareness. Through its Colorful Cause initiative, Lilly Pulitzer is shining a bright light on hope, using color, creativity, and community to help advance HDRF’s vital mission.
“Color has always been at the heart of Lilly Pulitzer; it’s how we express joy, optimism, and connection,” said Mira Fain, Chief Creative Officer of Lilly Pulitzer. Partnering with the Hope for Depression Research Foundation allows us to channel that spirit into something deeply meaningful. This collaboration is about using our platform and our prints to spark conversation, raise awareness, and help fund critical research that brings hope to so many.”
Founded by Audrey Gruss, the Hope for Depression Research Foundation is dedicated to funding the most innovative research into the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of depression and related mood disorders.
“We’re so grateful to partner with Lilly Pulitzer to support research that brings hope and help to millions,” said Audrey Gruss, Founder of the Hope for Depression Research Foundation. “Creativity and compassion make for a powerful blend! The Bumbling Buzz print from Lilly’s Vintage Vault feels optimistic and full of light, an expression of hope that truly resonates.”
The partnership is part of Lilly Pulitzer’s ongoing Print with Purpose campaign and Colorful Cause program, which spotlights charitable organizations and supports their missions through thoughtfully designed collections and meaningful community engagement. As part of this commitment, Lilly Pulitzer will donate $30,000 regardless of sales to the Hope for Depression Research Foundation and host pop‑up events featuring the collection at all 67 company‑owned boutiques nationwide. The collection is anchored by Bumbling Buzz, a joyful archival print rendered in radiant shades of yellow, symbolizing hope, healing, and brighter days ahead, with blooming florals and playful bumblebees designed to spark optimism, raise awareness, and shine a light on mental health.
The collection will be available on lillypulitzer.com and in company‑owned retail stores beginning April 6, 2026. A preview launch event was hosted on March 21, 2026, at Lilly Pulitzer’s Palm Beach Worth Avenue Flagship by Audrey Gruss, Craig Reynolds, Katherine Lande & Kevin Condon, and Stacey & David‑William Coffin & Grace & Tally Walker, bringing together community leaders and supporters to celebrate the partnership.
“The event was a beautiful gathering rooted in community and optimism,” said Rob Caldwell, Director of Public Relations for Lilly Pulitzer. “The colors and prints spark joy, and the support for the Hope for Depression Research Foundation was both meaningful and deeply felt.”
View the collection images here and event images here.
ABOUT LILLY PULITZER
For more than six decades, Lilly Pulitzer has defined a uniquely American approach to style: effortless, vibrant, and unapologetically optimistic. Founded in 1959, Lilly Pulitzer transformed resort wear into a lifestyle, introducing bold prints designed in Key West and breezy silhouettes that captured the essence of Palm Beach living. Today, the brand remains synonymous with color, confidence, and a sense of escape, values that have endured across decades of fashion evolution.
Rooted in a belief that color can uplift, connect, and inspire, Lilly Pulitzer’s Print with Purpose initiative reflects the brand’s ongoing commitment to celebrating optimism while supporting organizations making a meaningful difference. Through thoughtfully designed collections, community‑driven experiences, and purposeful partnerships, Print with Purpose brings Lilly Pulitzer’s signature joy to causes that matter, using creativity, conversation, and compassion to help spark awareness and create positive impact. Guided by the brand’s mission to inspire confidence, joy, and connection through color and print, Lilly Pulitzer is proud to celebrate style with heart and purpose.
ABOUT HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH FOUNDATION (HDRF)
HDRF was founded in 2006 by philanthropist Audrey Gruss in memory of her mother Hope, who struggled with clinical depression. The mission of the HDRF is to spur the most innovative brain research into the origins, medical diagnosis, new treatments, and prevention of depression and its related mood disorders: bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, and suicide. The World Health Organization has declared depression as the leading cause of disability worldwide, and yet conventional medications today are outdated and do not fully work for 50% of patients. HDRF is working tirelessly to improve the mental health landscape for every American. The Foundation has provided more than $80 million for breakthrough depression research that will help transform the way depression is viewed, diagnosed, treated, and prevented. In 2012, HDRF created the Depression Task Force, an international collaboration of top neuroscientists from different universities who are compiling data and expertise to accelerate research. HDRF has two clinical trials underway for potential novel antidepressants at Mount Sinai Medical Center and the Max Planck Institute in Germany. Other clinical trials for novel therapies are in the pipeline at Columbia University and Weill Cornell.
Disclaimer: Metrics, including sales, donations, and the impact of pop-up events, may vary. All claims are based on current expectations and projections, and actual results may differ. The information regarding the funding and clinical trials is based on publicly available data from the Hope for Depression Research Foundation. Claims about donations and funding are subject to confirmation by official sources.
