How Pink Palm Puff's CEO Lily Balaisis is growing the brand beyond its TikTok audience

Lily Balaisis founded Pink Palm Puff in 2023, at 15, from the Toronto suburbs, and built it into a brand with three million social followers, a Pottery Barn Teen collaboration, and pop-up queues in two US cities. At 18, she is mapping what comes after the hoodie.

Balaisis first showed her entrepreneurial side at 11, when she started selling slimes. "It taught me that I genuinely loved creating something of my own from the ground up,” the 18-year-old CEO told FashionUnited, saying the experience introduced her to the basics of product development, packaging, customer service, and social media. “Most importantly, it gave me the confidence to start before I had everything perfectly figured out.”

The hoodie idea came out of her own wardrobe years later. "I owned hundreds of hoodies, but I still felt like I was choosing between comfort and design. I wanted an oversized hoodie that felt substantial and premium but was still flattering and exciting to wear. I also wanted hoodies that felt collectible - each design needed its own story, colour palette, and personality. The goal was to create the hoodie you immediately reach for, but also one that makes an outfit feel special. I essentially designed what I could never quite find in my own closet," she said.

Founded in 2023, Pink Palm Puff built its audience on TikTok among tween and teen girls, who turned its pastel drops, priced at around 89 dollars, into status objects. Social is still where the brand does its research.

"I am constantly looking at comments, videos, wish lists, and how customers style their pieces. Social media gives us real-time feedback that traditional market research cannot always provide. We listen closely to requests for restocks, colours, matching bottoms, and new product ideas. At the same time, I never want us to design only according to what is already trending. The balance is listening to our community while still surprising them and protecting the creative identity of the brand," Balaisis said.

The brand became known for its palm tree logo, which Balaisis said represents “the love within our community and the idea that when someone wears Pink Palm Puff, they are carrying a little piece of that community with them.”

Cult brand status

That connection has been translating into physical demand. In July 2026, the brand launched a Pottery Barn Teen collaboration covering bedding, bath mats, backpacks and water bottles, timed to the back-to-school and college season, with pop-ups in Los Angeles and Miami. The appearance at The Grove was reported as the largest crowd the Los Angeles centre has seen for a single pop-up.

"It was incredibly surreal and emotional. We knew there was excitement around the pop-up, but seeing people camp overnight and watching the line continue to grow brought our online community to life in a completely different way. It really showed just how passionate and connected the Pink Palm Puff community is," Balaisis said. Meeting customers in person, she added, was the part she will not forget.

The release schedule stays deliberately narrow: two tops and two bottoms every one to two months. "We want every collection to feel intentional and have its own moment. A focused assortment allows us to put more attention into the fit, fabric, colours, campaign and storytelling behind every piece. The timing is guided by quality, customer demand and when the collection feels perfected," she said.

Creator partnerships, which began with friends posting organically and now include names such as Kenzie Yolles and Lauren Kim, are screened on the same basis. She looks for creators who already wear the product, on the view that audiences can tell the difference.

Working with her dad

Balaisis runs the creative side; her father, Linas Balaisis, is president. "My dad and I bring very different strengths to the business, which is why we work so well together. I lead the creative vision: product concepts, campaigns, content, creators, and the overall world of the brand. He focuses more on the operational and business side - helping ensure that the logistical infrastructure keeps up with the brand's growth. As the company has grown, our responsibilities have become more defined, and we have built a team around us," she said.

The next phase is about widening the customer base without losing the one she has. "As our original customer grows, we want the brand to grow with them while also introducing Pink Palm Puff to a broader audience. The opportunity is to continue building on the emotional connection, strong community, and recognizable identity we already have, while expanding how consumers can experience the brand. We are very focused on protecting what makes Pink Palm Puff distinctive as we scale and making sure every new touchpoint still feels unmistakably us," Balaisis said.

Five-year goal

Toronto remains the headquarters, though the strongest markets are in the US. Her five-year ambition is a global lifestyle brand rather than a hoodie label, built out through new categories and physical experiences. "I want Pink Palm Puff to create products people attach memories to, grow up with, and continue to feel emotionally connected to rather than simply what is popular in the moment," she said.