Suzie Zuzek, the Artist Behind Lilly Pulitzer's Original Prints, Finally Gets Her Due
The watercolor paintings of the late Suzie Zuzek, the contemporary artist responsible for iconic Lilly Pulitzer prints from the 60s to the 80s, will be auctioned online at the end of the month, Town & Country can exclusively reveal. The sale will consist of 43 of her original paintings, a collection which will be exhibited in Christie's Worth Avenue gallery in Palm Beach from March 25 to April 6. This body of work will continue the story of an unsung hero who very much lived in a surrealist world of her own, filled with animal motifs and blossoming gardenia.
"Suzie grew up on a dairy farm in Gowanda, New York, and was a true artist in the sense that she was incredibly within herself," Becky Smith, owner of the Suzie Zuzek archive and consignor of the sale, tells Town & Country. "The animals on the farm were her friends, and they ended up showing up later on in her life through her work. She gifted each 0f the animals in her work a unique personality."
Zuzek's art was never truly recognized until recently, when her work was found in a basement room of the textile company, Key West Hand Print Fabrics, where she served as the head designer for 25 years. In addition to the sale that is to take place in March, other new accolades include exhibitions at the Cooper Hewitt (2021-2022) and the Smithsonian Design Museum and a Rizzoli book (2020).
But, it wasn't as if her designs never reached the mainstream. There was a time when the fashion label Lilly Pulitzer meant more than sororities and highlighter colors. This era existed at the very beginning of Lilly Pulitzer, when the 20-something heiress, based in Palm Beach, discovered Zuzek's work while visiting Key West Hand Print Fabrics in 1962 and bought the fabrics to use for her signature shift dresses. For the next two decades, Suzek remained Pulitzer's main source for fabric, and the artist created over 1,550 designs for Pulitzer–nearly 80 percent of the prints.
Suzek's vision as an artist and print designer, who was formally trained at Pratt University in New York, not only defined American resort wear but added to the aesthetic that defined a particular social class of American women: one that is likely to be a muse of a Slim Aaron's photograph. Jackie Kennedy wore Suzek's designs (even appearing in a spread of Life), as did her daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and members of the Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Whitney families.
When Pulitzer filed her company for bankruptcy in 1984, the acquiring company chose to no longer source print designs from Key West Fabrics nor buy any of Suzek's original prints used for Pulitzer. The final patterns made for Pulitzer would ultimately be the swan song in her professional career.
"When Lilly closed her company, Suzie was 65 years old. She ended up retiring, but, she was an eclectic person who continued to do art leisurely. She couldn't help herself. She worked on metal work, and paintings on wood. In some ways, we can say that Lilly Pulitzer promoted Suzie Zuzek as an artist for 25 years," says Smith.
The sale at Christie's marks a new era for Zuzek's legacy as the first-ever opportunity for collectors to acquire hanging works by the artist. "People have enjoyed her designs on dresses, but have never had the chance to have Zuzek's art on their walls," Elizabeth Seigel, Head of Private and Iconic Collections at Christie's, tells T&C. "What excites me about this collection is the story behind it. Whether it's the recent Andre Leon Talley sale, Paul Allen, or the Gettys, it is important for us to have a strong narrative at the forefront. It is an interesting and exciting opportunity to let Suzie's work loose in the market and see what happens."
For Smith, a close friend and unwavering champion of Suzie Zuzek's work as an artist, the sale is true of labor of love. "I think this it'll resonate with other creatives, and make it clear that woman artists are just as important as their male counterparts. It's been an emotional, but wonderful journey."
Suzie Zuzek: The Artist Behind Lilly Pulitzer sale will begin online Friday, March 31 and continue into Monday, April 17th. To learn more about the upcoming exhibition and online bidding, please visit Christies.com.
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