Glitter & Greed: Where Is Lisa Frank Now After the Rise, Fall and Resurgence of Her Iconic '90s Brand?

Mar. 15, 2025

Lisa Frank and her brand.Photo:CNN;lisa frank/Instagram

CNN;lisa frank/Instagram

The rise and fall of an iconic ’90s brand is documented in Amazon MGM Studios’Glitter & Greed: The Lisa Frank Story.The four-part docuseries premiered on Prime on Dec. 5, 2024, and unveiled the darker side of a name synonymous with technicolor. Owner Lisa Frank launched her namesake company in 1979, and for two decades, her notebooks, stickers and backpacks reigned supreme on school supply wishlists.The brand became the unofficial symbol of the ’90s until — like choker necklaces and jelly sandals — it faded into obscurity.Lisa Franksaw a resurgence in popularity in the early 2020s thanks to collaborations with big names like Crocs and celebrities likeJohn Mayer.But, it wasn’t all rainbow pandas and surfing dolphins at Lisa Frank.Glitter & Greedunpacks the divorce, divided household and demanding work environment that some former employees and family members claim were responsible for the company’s downfall.“There’s this incredible irony and contrast between the rainbows and the unicorns and the happy cheerful designs that you see on the inside of the complex reality that was occurring behind closed doors,” executive producer Mary Robertson told PEOPLE in December 2024.So, what happened to Lisa Frank? Here’s everything to know about the CEO behind the ’90s brand and where she is today.Who is Lisa Frank?Lisa Frank.CNNLisa Frank founded her namesake company, Lisa Frank, Inc., in 1979, and as of 2021, she is still the CEO.According toJezebel’s 2013 investigation into the brand, the artist was born and raised in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Her father ran an automotive company and her parents encouraged her to explore her creative interests.“I think from about age five on, they sent me to art classes, and I was a huge colorer,” Lisa said in a now-deleted interview on Urban Outfitter’s blog. “I think to keep me quiet, they would bring the coloring books and crayons, and I would fill up the books.”She moved to Arizona for college and eventually settled down in Tucson where she started designing and selling stickers.When did Lisa Frank start her company?Lisa Frank, Inc.Lisa Frank/InstagramIn 1979, Lisa renamed Sticky Fingers — the plastic jewelry line she started when she was 20 — toLisa Frank, Inc. In 1984, she landed her first million-dollar order from Spencer Gifts.Lisa then shifted her company’s focus from stickers to school supplies and stationery and hired the company’s first in-house illustrator, James Green. The two eventually started dating and tied the knot on Oct. 22, 1994, in Tucson. He took over the title as CEO of Lisa Frank in the early ’90s, and the couple welcomed two sons, Hunter Green and Forrest Green.InGlitter & Greed, James said their relationship was “a natural progression,” and he felt pressure to get married because of his age. He claimed, “Working together for 15 years, we became very good friends and one thing led to another … there was some love involved. But the interest definitely came from her.“What happened to Lisa Frank?Lisa Frank.CNNLisa’s company remained successful throughout the ’90s and the early 2000s, bringing in over $60 million a year, according to theTucson Voice. However, when theArizona Daily Starreported that James filed for divorce in 2005, sales had already begun to wane. Lisa filed a suit to remove her ex-husband from his CEO position, and he resigned.InGlitter & Greed,James claimed that their marriage ended because Lisa was convinced that he had been unfaithful. Hunter told filmmakers that he remembered his mom believing that his dad was having an affair with the company’s executive vice president Rhonda Rowlette, who also appeared in the docuseries and denied the alleged cheating.Former Lisa Frank employees interviewed in the docuseries cite both the divorce and Lisa’s alleged hesitancy to evolve the empire as reasons why the brand seemingly faded into obscurity.“She just wanted to fall back on some of her previous legacy characters,” said James, an art director who was hired in 2015 to create new characters. “I think it’s because she felt ‘It was successful once, let’s try it again.’ I say it with some remorse too because I saw the potential. But I think Lisa stood in her own way, honestly.”Why was Lisa Frank not interviewed forGlitter & Greed?Glitter and Greed: The Lisa Frank Story.prime videoIt’s not clear why Lisa was not interviewed forGlitter & Greed.A company official toldThe New York TimesStudent Journalism Institutein 2013 that the CEO doesn’t grant interviews and Lisa even asked Urban Outfitters not to show her face during a video interview the year prior.Though she did not appear on camera, every episode ofGlitter & Greedends with a statement from the artist that reads, “I have loved art and have been an artist ever since childhood. Lisa Frank is the result of that passion. I’m incredibly grateful for the amazing artists and team members who helped bring my vision to life. I’m so excited about the future, as the next generation takes the helm. Stay tuned — the best has yet to come!”Where is Lisa Frank now?Lisa Frank and Kacey Musgraves in Ballerina Bunny and Hunter masks.Lisa Frank/ InstagramThough she’s continued to stay out of the spotlight, as of 2021, Lisa is still the CEO of Lisa Frank — which continues to operate. TheLisa Frank websiteoffers accessories, beauty and tech products and collaborates with brands like ORLY nail polish and CASETiFY phone cases.In 2018,Business Insiderreported that the iconic 300,000-square-foot Lisa Frank factory in Tucson was abandoned and for sale for $17 million. The warehouse had been built in 1996 and closed in 2013, according toKGUN-9. Though nothing official from the company has been reported about the building, Lisa Frankposted a TikTok videoin November 2023 of two rainbow-colored mascots embracing in front of the factory with a caption that read, “We’re baaaack! 🤭🌈🏠.”Forrest toldBustlein 2021 that country singerKacey Musgravesconvinced his mother to launch an Instagram account for Lisa Frank. The brandshared its first postin 2018 — which shows Lisa holding hands and waving with Musgraves while wearing mascot heads of her famous characters — and the account has nearly 900,000 followers as of December 2024.What happened to Lisa Frank’s sons?Lisa Frank’s son Forrest Green.Lisa Frank/InstaggramAs of 2021, Forrest serves as the director of business development and partnerships for Lisa Frank. He told Bustle that though he started formally working for the company in 2015, his mother would excuse him from school to sit in on meetings when he was just 8 years old.“My mom has allowed me to combat her time and time again, from a [young] age,” he told the outlet. “I always thought I was right [about the business]. I would always fight for my opinion and try to prove it to my mom.”Hunter claimed inGlitter & Greedthat the family is essentially split and that he doesn’t have a relationship with his sibling.“It was me and my dad and my mom and Forrest,” he said. “We love Forrest. My mom treated Forrest a little differently than me, a little bit softer. She treated him more like her child than me.“Forrest did not appear in the docuseries.

The rise and fall of an iconic ’90s brand is documented in Amazon MGM Studios’Glitter & Greed: The Lisa Frank Story.

The four-part docuseries premiered on Prime on Dec. 5, 2024, and unveiled the darker side of a name synonymous with technicolor. Owner Lisa Frank launched her namesake company in 1979, and for two decades, her notebooks, stickers and backpacks reigned supreme on school supply wishlists.

The brand became the unofficial symbol of the ’90s until — like choker necklaces and jelly sandals — it faded into obscurity.Lisa Franksaw a resurgence in popularity in the early 2020s thanks to collaborations with big names like Crocs and celebrities likeJohn Mayer.

But, it wasn’t all rainbow pandas and surfing dolphins at Lisa Frank.Glitter & Greedunpacks the divorce, divided household and demanding work environment that some former employees and family members claim were responsible for the company’s downfall.

“There’s this incredible irony and contrast between the rainbows and the unicorns and the happy cheerful designs that you see on the inside of the complex reality that was occurring behind closed doors,” executive producer Mary Robertson told PEOPLE in December 2024.

So, what happened to Lisa Frank? Here’s everything to know about the CEO behind the ’90s brand and where she is today.

Who is Lisa Frank?

Lisa Frank.CNN

CNN

Lisa Frank founded her namesake company, Lisa Frank, Inc., in 1979, and as of 2021, she is still the CEO.

According toJezebel’s 2013 investigation into the brand, the artist was born and raised in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Her father ran an automotive company and her parents encouraged her to explore her creative interests.

“I think from about age five on, they sent me to art classes, and I was a huge colorer,” Lisa said in a now-deleted interview on Urban Outfitter’s blog. “I think to keep me quiet, they would bring the coloring books and crayons, and I would fill up the books.”

She moved to Arizona for college and eventually settled down in Tucson where she started designing and selling stickers.

When did Lisa Frank start her company?

Lisa Frank, Inc.Lisa Frank/Instagram

Lisa Frank/Instagram

In 1979, Lisa renamed Sticky Fingers — the plastic jewelry line she started when she was 20 — toLisa Frank, Inc. In 1984, she landed her first million-dollar order from Spencer Gifts.

Lisa then shifted her company’s focus from stickers to school supplies and stationery and hired the company’s first in-house illustrator, James Green. The two eventually started dating and tied the knot on Oct. 22, 1994, in Tucson. He took over the title as CEO of Lisa Frank in the early ’90s, and the couple welcomed two sons, Hunter Green and Forrest Green.

InGlitter & Greed, James said their relationship was “a natural progression,” and he felt pressure to get married because of his age. He claimed, “Working together for 15 years, we became very good friends and one thing led to another … there was some love involved. But the interest definitely came from her.”

What happened to Lisa Frank?

Lisa’s company remained successful throughout the ’90s and the early 2000s, bringing in over $60 million a year, according to theTucson Voice. However, when theArizona Daily Starreported that James filed for divorce in 2005, sales had already begun to wane. Lisa filed a suit to remove her ex-husband from his CEO position, and he resigned.

InGlitter & Greed,James claimed that their marriage ended because Lisa was convinced that he had been unfaithful. Hunter told filmmakers that he remembered his mom believing that his dad was having an affair with the company’s executive vice president Rhonda Rowlette, who also appeared in the docuseries and denied the alleged cheating.

Former Lisa Frank employees interviewed in the docuseries cite both the divorce and Lisa’s alleged hesitancy to evolve the empire as reasons why the brand seemingly faded into obscurity.

“She just wanted to fall back on some of her previous legacy characters,” said James, an art director who was hired in 2015 to create new characters. “I think it’s because she felt ‘It was successful once, let’s try it again.’ I say it with some remorse too because I saw the potential. But I think Lisa stood in her own way, honestly.”

Why was Lisa Frank not interviewed forGlitter & Greed?

Glitter and Greed: The Lisa Frank Story.prime video

prime video

It’s not clear why Lisa was not interviewed forGlitter & Greed.A company official toldThe New York TimesStudent Journalism Institutein 2013 that the CEO doesn’t grant interviews and Lisa even asked Urban Outfitters not to show her face during a video interview the year prior.

Though she did not appear on camera, every episode ofGlitter & Greedends with a statement from the artist that reads, “I have loved art and have been an artist ever since childhood. Lisa Frank is the result of that passion. I’m incredibly grateful for the amazing artists and team members who helped bring my vision to life. I’m so excited about the future, as the next generation takes the helm. Stay tuned — the best has yet to come!”

Where is Lisa Frank now?

Lisa Frank and Kacey Musgraves in Ballerina Bunny and Hunter masks.Lisa Frank/ Instagram

Lisa Frank/ Instagram

Though she’s continued to stay out of the spotlight, as of 2021, Lisa is still the CEO of Lisa Frank — which continues to operate. TheLisa Frank websiteoffers accessories, beauty and tech products and collaborates with brands like ORLY nail polish and CASETiFY phone cases.

In 2018,Business Insiderreported that the iconic 300,000-square-foot Lisa Frank factory in Tucson was abandoned and for sale for $17 million. The warehouse had been built in 1996 and closed in 2013, according toKGUN-9. Though nothing official from the company has been reported about the building, Lisa Frankposted a TikTok videoin November 2023 of two rainbow-colored mascots embracing in front of the factory with a caption that read, “We’re baaaack! 🤭🌈🏠.”

Forrest toldBustlein 2021 that country singerKacey Musgravesconvinced his mother to launch an Instagram account for Lisa Frank. The brandshared its first postin 2018 — which shows Lisa holding hands and waving with Musgraves while wearing mascot heads of her famous characters — and the account has nearly 900,000 followers as of December 2024.

What happened to Lisa Frank’s sons?

Lisa Frank’s son Forrest Green.Lisa Frank/Instaggram

Lisa Frank/Instaggram

As of 2021, Forrest serves as the director of business development and partnerships for Lisa Frank. He told Bustle that though he started formally working for the company in 2015, his mother would excuse him from school to sit in on meetings when he was just 8 years old.

“My mom has allowed me to combat her time and time again, from a [young] age,” he told the outlet. “I always thought I was right [about the business]. I would always fight for my opinion and try to prove it to my mom.”

Hunter claimed inGlitter & Greedthat the family is essentially split and that he doesn’t have a relationship with his sibling.

“It was me and my dad and my mom and Forrest,” he said. “We love Forrest. My mom treated Forrest a little differently than me, a little bit softer. She treated him more like her child than me.”

Forrest did not appear in the docuseries.

source: people.com