Did you know that Lisa Frank’s vast 90s empire was run from a corporate office based in Tucson? Well, me neither– until I read an insane article from Jezebel, titled “Inside the Rainbow Gulag” about working within in the cocaine-fueled, abusive corporate office environment. Apparently turnover was extremely high due to random firings, and most people would get dressed down at least once by leadership, if not daily– it was a fascinating read I couldn’t turn away from, and… that’s how I ended up on “Lisa Frank Avenue” just outside of Tucson.
Across from a few other still-functioning corporate offices lied the remains of Lisa Frank’s headquarters. You couldn’t miss it. Bright, rainbow murals, hearts and stars, with the front edifice made of pink, shiny windows (many of them broken), which made some of the batsh*t decor inside slightly visible.
There were giant teddy bear sculptures inside the lobby. (*Peep at some of the broken windows in the picture below to see if you can see a glimpse of them).
Being a student of business AND a feminist, I was drawn to check this defunct building out.
Lisa Frank was one of the most successful lady entrepreneurs in the nation, especially an anomaly given her time. While she clearly struggled with management style– perhaps due to addiction (as was speculated)– she also isn’t exactly cited as a successful case study in business school cases either, despite running a billion-dollar empire at one stage.
Lisa Frank is practically reclusive, very few photos of her exist– and she’s also given very few interviews in her life. So it’s hard to know her side of the story. That said, her life and business dealings both seemed to be incredibly chaotic… but then again…
We remember lots of chaotic and cruel male entrepreneurs as ‘geniuses’– though Lisa Frank has all but joined the dustbin of business history. Perhaps a female entrepreneur making products exclusively for women is easy for the business-case-study-industrial-complex to overlook, as most of the writers in these journals and publications are (still) male.
There was a lot to be bummed about when gazing at this rainbow-dayglow-fantasy building as the broken hulk that it was becoming. The question of what could have been without crappy management, especially given the 90s revival that gripped fashion and culture in 2022 and 2023– seemed like such a wasted opportunity. Lisa Frank was both a commercial success story, a tragic personal story, and a tale of a business that left a ton of potential on the table.
It’s a truly bizarre sight to see– but you can visit the Lisa Frank building outside Tucson as I did, but can’t get too close– it’s roped off and can only be seen from the street.
Posted by Sun
