Lilly Pulitzer, the preppy brand known for its signature candy-hued floral sundresses and its madras-style capris, is putting down roots in Manhattan. A sprawling Lilly Pulitzer store — situated in a limestone row house at 1020 Madison Ave., between 78th and 79th streets — is slated to open May 8, amid a period of expansion for the 49-year-old label.

But will colorful outfits that are bright enough to wreck a Lasik operation work in a city where black is always the new black? Is New York ready for moss green and bubble gum pink — on one blazer? And on a men’s blazer at that?

Founded in 1960, the label was initially a sideline to Palm Beach socialite Lilly Pulitzer’s pet project: a roadside juice stand. Ms. Pulitzer was looking for colorful dresses to disguise citrus juice stains and decided to make her own. From the start, the dresses attracted an affluent following that would come to include first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Ms. Pulitzer retired in 1984, and her brand was discontinued. It was revived nine years later under a licensing agreement with Sugartown Worldwide in King of Prussia, Pa.

In February, Lilly Pulitzer made its entrée into the international retail market, offering its women’s and children’s apparel at Harrods in London. And last year, the brand unveiled a bold, 120-piece menswear collection, featuring bright paisley blazers, embroidered seersucker shorts, and neckties with pastel, patchwork designs.

“We always wanted the opportunity to present a comprehensive Lilly Pulitzer lifestyle to the New York consumer,” the company’s president, James Bradbeer Jr., said in a written statement. “We have just never been able to find the perfect spot, but we knew we were on to something good when we discovered 1020 Madison was right next to a juice stand.”

Renovations are now under way inside the soon-to-open store, and the interior décor, like the brand’s apparel, will make use of bright pink and green fabrics and embellishments. Though the decorative molding-capped walls will remain white, the store will feature pink curtains, seating, and mirrored glass, and green area rugs, according to project manager Richard Rogers of Michael Neumann Architecture.

In its first company-owned store in Manhattan, Lilly Pulitzer is embracing a design scheme more sophisticated than that used in its other stores, where exposed beams and teak lounge chairs give the space a “much more rustic” feel, according to Mr. Rogers. There will be black-and-white, checkerboard-tiled floors in the entryway, and polished nickel accents throughout, he said, noting: “You can’t do a Palm Beach store on Madison Avenue.”

Jay Mulvaney, who with Ms. Pulitzer authored two books about entertaining, said that while the forthcoming boutique may not seem a natural fit on the Upper East Side, he predicted that it would succeed in its new location. “A lot of places on Madison Avenue are grand with a capital ‘G’ — and that’s not Lilly at all,” Mr. Mulvaney said. “It will offer Madison Avenue a different flavor.”

Bloomingdale’s vice president and fashion director of women’s ready-to-wear, Stephanie Solomon, said she thinks that a store full of clothes associated with beachside living can succeed in an urban jungle. Though the brand has long had limited distribution in New York — Bloomingdale’s is one of a handful of New York retailers to sell the line — the city is home to a Lilly clientele that “loves color and loves prints, a woman who loves life, loves sunshine and palm trees,” Ms. Solomon said.

The author of the forthcoming title, “The Official Filthy Rich Handbook” (Workman), Christopher Tennant, sees plenty of reasons that the store could be a hit. “It’s not that New Yorkers are wearing her clothes when they’re in the city, but they do when they’re on vacation,” he said. “Lilly Pulitzer is synonymous with sitting with a Southside, sitting on the beach, going to the club; it’s synonymous with that Nantucket-Greenwich-Palm Beach nexus.”

In addition to its men’s and women’s apparel lines, Lilly Pulitzer also sells shoes, handbags, fragrances, home décor, and clothing for children. The label has company-owned stores throughout Florida, as well as in Greenwich, Conn., and White Plains, N.Y., among other locations. Most women’s shift dresses are in the $200 to $300 range, men’s blazers are $595, and girls’ halter tops retail for $64.