Hi everyone! Summer has just shipped and I wanted to give you a little behind the scenes on how it all came to be. It’s a long one but preeety revealing (and funny!) Every season I start dreaming…what should the inspiration be? What colors do we want to be wearing? What do we want in the prints?!?!? What can we do that’s pretty…cheeky!?!?!?!

It was last year at this time that we started dreaming about Summer 2011. As we are celebrating Lilly Loves the Arts, Summer was planned to celebrate music and dance. Ummm, I am a huge dancer. Side note: Karen in our sweaters department just had to teach me how to Dougie. It’s a problem. Aaaaanyway… I have always loved music (right now I am listening to Pandora and have made my own Talking Heads station…awesome). I have a million and one stories about going to concerts, being obsessed with bands – I had a HUGE thing for John Taylor from Duran Duran in 6th grade. Doesn’t everyone have that ‘first concert’ story? Or the first slow dance with a boy? (Furman tennis camp. Madonna’s Crazy For You. Carter from Atlanta. Esprit dress.) So the print department wanted to get aaaalll the fun music stories from everyone in the Pink Palace so I sent the email below, COMPANY WIDE (it’s amazing sometimes that I don’t get fired) to get the real juice. And of course, it wouldn’t have been fair for me to ask for everyone’s music memories without giving my own…

From: Jane Schoenborn
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 3:58 PM
To: King of Prussia Staff Members
Subject: summer 2011

Warning! Smiling, happiness and the strong desire to shake your booty ahead!

As the print department starts to design summer 2011 prints we, as usual, need your help! Summer 11 is all about music…from the classical you hear while the fireworks go off (Handel) to the Coachella summer outdoor music festivals.

There are summer songs that are signals that good times are ahead! We all have favorites and we alllllll have music memories. Please please please take a second to answer our questions. Feel free to pick one and give us a good long answer. We want some insight (and giggles!)

1. What was your first concert?
2. Do you play an instrument? Was learning it torture!?!
3. What is your favorite band? Would you consider yourself a groupie?
4. The print studio is planning to REINVENT the ‘streaker’ print for summer 11, any ideas?!?!?!?!

We would never dig into your dark and racy past without sharing ours first, so here are my answers (terrifying! but may as well start with a zinger).

In the fall of 1990 I was a senior at a very very strict and no-fun boarding school in Massachusetts. By senior year I had broken every rule possible, at least twice. I was bored. One of my coolest friends had an older brother (crush!) that went to Trinity College in CT. He started sending us tapes of live shows from this band called Phish

My first show was at Amherst College Fall 1990. It was in this little auditorium – dark. Really loud. College boys everywhere. I was hooked!

It was impossible to get away from boarding school, but I found a way. Every Saturday we would drive to wherever Phish was playing. We started making t-shirts (hello fashion!) and selling them out of my trunk. Aaaaawesome!!!

That summer I graduated and moved to Newport, RI with my friends. I had a job (ice cream cart on second beach – Ben + Jerry’s!). I did not sell much ice cream, instead I traveled all summer with Phish. Was such a groupie! My dad had given me an old blue Datsun and my boyfriend and I painted it. I promise to find pics because they will make you wet your pants. There was a sun on the hood, dancing people on one side with quotes from the Doors, and a big purple dinosaur on the other side. I have noooo idea why.

My friends and I would pile into the painted Datsun and go to concerts all summer. Loved the car, only problem is that the keys were stuck in the ignition. So after concerts the car had usually been stolen and left someplace else. I painted my phone number on the car so the police knew where to call when they found it.

It was – clearly- the most fun ever.

I still to this day adore Phish, although I don’t have the time to go on tour. They are MY BAND!

I know that music brings people together (like Lilly!). Music makes you happy (like Lilly!). Music is something that holds memories (like Lilly!).

Clearly by the way this company got down at prom, music is in our bones! Please share, with us, your memories. Leave nothing out unless it is not fit to type, and then just come to the print studio and tell us the story : )

xx, the print team

Please giggle and and admit you want to come work here…! We got AMAZING and hysterical responses from all corners of the office. We WILL SHARE, but only if you share too. I expect Facebook posts. Tweets. Comments on this post- wherever you’re willing to share! And over the coming weeks we will be sharing some of the responses I got from WITHIN the Pink Palace…and I am now d-y-i-n-g to hear yours! Oh and if my “youthful indiscretion” friends locate said pictures, please don’t post on Facebook!

Love you too much… here’s to summer!

xx -Janie