The fashion label started out thanks to a juice stand but last night fans of Lilly Pulitzer were drinking cocktails — all in the name of charity and looking good.

High-end clothes store Cécile decked itself out in bright summer colours for the start of a three-day celebration of a clothing line loved by socialites and famous for its summer hues and classic shift dresses.

The company is touring America with a collection of vintage Lilly dresses to mark its jubilee anniversary and has made Bermuda its only international stop.

Cécile, which has sold the label since the 1990s, held a charity cocktail party and silent auction last night in honour of the occasion and in aid of the Coalition for the Protection of Children.

Today it will be offering giveaways to customers who buy Lilly items, with part proceeds going to the Coalition, and tomorrow sees a "Mummy and Me" afternoon tea party at the Front Street boutique.

Lilly Pulitzer president James Bradbeer, who arrived on the Island yesterday for a 24-hour visit, said Bermuda was a natural choice for the vintage dress display.

"The colours of Bermuda are the colours of Lilly," he said. "The relationship goes back to the brand's earliest days. Coming to Bermuda was a no brainer for us. We couldn't possibly do the retrospective and not come here."

Julia Currelly, fashion director of Cécile's parent company TESS Ltd., said Bermuda had lots of "Lilly girls" — the name given to women with a passion for the label.

"This is fabulous fun," she said. "We have even invented some cocktails for the occasion — Pulitzer Spritzers and Jubilee Juices."

The store is now carrying a range of Lilly wear designed by celebrities including Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon and Gwyneth Paltrow in honour of the jubilee. The clothes are being sold in aid of a charity in the States for those with the epidermolysis bullosa skin disorder.

Sheelagh Cooper, from the Coalition, said she was thrilled that her charity would benefit from the celebrations on the Island — especially as she is a Lilly girl. "Lilly is my favourite line and I have 12 granddaughters who all love Lilly too."

The label was started by designer Lilly Pulitzer after she opened a juice stand in Palm Beach, Florida, and needed a dress to wear which would not show citrus stains. Jackie Kennedy was one of the first women to wear the designs.