Lisa Frank

Last updated
Lisa Frank
Born1955 (age 68–69)
NationalityAmerican
Known for Lisa Frank Incorporated
Spouse
James Green
​
​
(m. 1994;div. 2005)​
Children2

Lisa Frank (born 1955) is an American artist and businesswoman, the founder of Lisa Frank Incorporated, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. She is known for producing whimsical commercial design for school supplies and other products that are primarily marketed to children and young adolescents. Her designs were popular in the 1980s and 1990s and experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 2010s and 2020s.

Contents

Early life and education

Frank's father was an art collector and introduced her to the work of such Pop Art artists as Peter Max. [1] Frank is a 1972 graduate of the Cranbrook Kingswood School, [2] [3] a preparatory school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. [1] She attended the University of Arizona. [4]

Lisa Frank Incorporated

After moving from the Detroit, Michigan, area to Tucson, Arizona, in the 1970s to study art at the University of Arizona, she founded the children's jewelry company Sticky Fingers, operating at first from a guest house in Frank's back yard, which became Lisa Frank Inc. circa 1979 when she was 24. [5] [6] [7] She continued to lead it as of 2019. As of 2021 Frank's son, Forrest Green, was the company's director of business development and partnerships. [8]

Designs

Frank's artwork features rainbow and neon colors and stylized depictions of animals, including dolphins, pandas, and unicorns. [9] In the 1980s and 1990s, her designs were used on school supplies products such as lunchboxes and Trapper Keepers and for other products such as toys and stickers. [10] [9] Her designs were popular among elementary and middle school-aged girls. [11] In 2011, they were used for a colorful line of clothing. [11]

Frank's designs experienced a resurgence of popularity in the late 2010s and early 2020s during a wave of nostalgia for the 80s and 90s. [12] [13] [4]

Collaborations

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, during a wave of nostalgia for the 80s and 90s, Frank's designs experienced a resurgence in popularity and several collaborations were developed featuring her artwork. [12] [13] Frank partnered with Reebok to release two versions of limited-release Reebok Classic Leathers shoes in 2017 featuring her designs. [14] In 2017, Frank was partnering with producer Jon Shestack to develop a movie inspired by her work. [15] In 2019, she designed the logo for John Mayer's Instagram television series, Current Mood. [16] [17] In 2023 she collaborated with Crocs on a line of platform clogs and with Evite on a line of digital invitations. [13] [18]

Personal life

Frank is "notoriously private." [19] [8] [20] In a 2012 interview video with Urban Outfitters, the company agreed to obscure her face. [21]

In 1994, Frank married James A. Green, who from 1990 to October 2005 was president and chief executive officer of Lisa Frank Incorporated. They had sons born in 1995 and 1999. [22] Frank filed for divorce in September 2005. That same month, she sued to remove Green from the company, and he resigned the following month. [23] The court agreed to assign control of the company to Lisa Frank. [24]

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References

  1. 1 2 Carly, Mark (September 1, 2015). "Lisa Frank on Lisa Frank". Foundations Magazine. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  2. ↑ Mark, Carly. "Lisa Frank, CEO, Gets Frank About Lisa Frank, The Brand". Refinery 29 . Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  3. ↑ "Style Magazine Celebrates Six Cranbrook Kingswood Graduates". Cranbrook Schools. July 29, 2003. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2012. ...designer Lisa Frank ('72)
  4. 1 2 Egan Morrissey, Tracie (December 12, 2013). "Inside the Rainbow Gulag: The Technicolor Rise and Fall of Lisa Frank". Jezebel . Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ Prendergast, Curt (May 18, 2018). "Tucson's Lisa Frank sues to protect her empire of rainbow unicorns, surfing dolphins". Arizona Daily Star . Tucson, Arizona. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  6. ↑ Wichner, David (October 1, 2005). "Girls' crafts business founders file for divorce; control of company in limbo". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona.
  7. ↑ "Lisa Frank Speaks: The Woman Behind The Day Glo Dolphins". HuffPost . 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  8. 1 2 Leach, Samantha (2024-02-20). "Inside The Fiercely Private, Celebrity-Filled World Of Lisa Frank And Her Son Forrest Green". Bustle . Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  9. 1 2 Hamlin, Jessica (2019-11-12). "My Stay At The Lisa Frank Flat Was All Rainbows, Unicorns And... Controversy". LAist . Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  10. ↑ Bent, Gala. "Interview With Cindy Hinant". Asthmatic Kitty Records. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Soldner, Anna (February 16, 2012). "What ever happened to Lisa Frank". The Spectator. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  12. 1 2 Masunga, Samantha (2023-09-21). "Lisa Frank, My Little Pony, Caboodles. The '90s called, and they're coming for your kids". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  13. 1 2 3 Royce, Aaron (2023-10-12). "Crocs and Lisa Frank's New Collaboration Brings Y2K Sparkle to Chunky Platform Clogs". Footwear News . Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  14. ↑ Tesema, Martha (30 August 2017). "Your sneaker game is about to improve drastically thanks to this Lisa Frank and Reebok collaboration". Mashable. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Lisa Frank Movie in the Works With 'Air Force One' Producer". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  16. ↑ Frank, Lisa. "#LisaFrank x John Mayer". FaceBook. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  17. ↑ Zlotnick, Robin (23 December 2019). "John Mayer Has an Instagram Talk Show Called 'Current Mood' and It's Kind of Adorable". Distractify. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  18. ↑ "Evite Collaborates with Lisa Frank on Party Invitations and Greeting Cards". Yahoo Finance . 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  19. ↑ Raphael, Rina (November 29, 2017). "The Second Coming of Lisa Frank". Fast Company . Archived from the original on January 22, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  20. ↑ Wells, Katherine (2013-09-06). "Lisa Frank Is Real". The Atlantic . Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  21. ↑ Dollinger, Arielle (31 May 2013). "The Colorful World of Lisa Frank Goes Silent". University of Arizona: The New York Times Student Journalism Institute, Tucson, Arizona 2013. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  22. ↑ "The Real Story Behind Lisa Frank". Dec 13, 2013. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  23. ↑ Simonson, Scott (January 24, 2006). "Ruling due in lawsuit: Lisa Frank vs. spouse". Arizona Daily Star . Tucson, Arizona. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Control of girl-focused company decided". The Associated Press State & Local Wire. October 21, 2005.
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