Your ’90s Childhood May Have Been Shaped by This Michigan Woman

If you were a kid in the '90s, then you probably remember Pogs, Trapper Keepers, and Tamagotchis. But do you remember the woman whose name was everywhere, yet her face was almost nowhere to be found?

This Michigan native helped shape an entire generation's childhood. So, how is it that we know so little about the woman behind the rainbow-colored empire?

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Lisa Frank, the '90s Childhood Icon You Didn't Know Was From Michigan

This Bloomfield Hills-born designer may have helped shape a generation's childhood, but it all started right here in Michigan. Lisa's father was an art collector, and it was he who first introduced Lisa to the wild and bright colors used in Pop Art.

Frank eventually left the Detroit area to attend the University of Arizona, where she studied art. In the early 1980s, she founded Lisa Frank Inc. and built the brand alongside her then-husband and collaborator, James Green. But their professional and personal relationship eventually unraveled, ending in a split in 2005.

See: Glitter and Greed, the Lisa Frank Story

I'm willing to bet if you're of a certain age (like me) owned at least one of her colorful creations. I know I had my fair share of Lisa Frank folders, stickers, and I recently uncovered my old diary with rainbow-colored dolphins on the front!

My love of Lisa Frank has stuck with me well into adulthood, and now that I have a little disposable income, I'm not ashamed to admit I still try to add a little Lisa into my life whenever possible.

Thankfully, the colorful world of Lisa Frank has grown up right alongside us! From Morphe cosmetics and Crocs to ORLY nail polish and even a Lisa Frank blender, major brands have found plenty of ways to bring those nostalgic designs back into our lives.