I had to look up Lucky Stripes:

"This attractive sport was first seen sprouting from within a thick mat of solid green plants thriving atop a boulder in the garden of Tampa, Florida nurseryman Ken Hudson. The foliage is distinguished by beautiful cream colored margins and vertical stripes.

First thought by many to be Aechmea cylindrata var. micrantha, it was identified as Aechmea gamosepala by Harry Luther of the Bromeliad Identification Center at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida.

Curiously, the new plant appears to be a more vigorous grower than the parent, this in spite of the variegated foliage and the resulting lack of chlorophyll. The leaves average inch broader in width and are firmer in texture. The mature height of the cultivar is quite often 2 inches taller than the parent when both are grown in the same light (approximately 50% shade). What impresses me most is the inflorescence. The scape is very tall and erect, heavier than that of the parent. The flowers are small and cobalt blue; the stems are pink. The scape bracts are variegated cream and green. 'Lucky Stripes' has proven to be quite stable, continually producing variegated offsets since its discovery 2 years ago."

Hmmm....... several anomalies come to mind here. First, Ae. Lucky Stripes is albomarginated, and as such, generally produces albino seedlings. Mardi Gras, on the other hand, would produce green seedlings, same as an unvariegated gamosepala.

Second, the plant on the left featured in both pics as Lucky Stripes x retusa doesn't show any signs of retusa. Ae. gamosepala and its cultivars often self pollinate, which looks like what probably happened here. The one on the right in the first pic, however, looks like it may have taken the cross. It still doesn't look a lot like retusa, but the coloration and branching habit are certainly different from gamosepala. It will be interesting to see what the inflorescence on the reverse cross looks like. Without that, it's hard to make much of a comparison.

Not trying to pick a fight, just callin' 'em like I sees 'em. ;-)

Hi Bromadams, thank you for the interesting bits on Ae. Lucky Stripes, I do feel that it has been around for a few years ????
To me a useful plant for introducing cold tolerance and thorn less foliage to some of its' seedlings. hence Why I did this cross. Am sure the F2 generation will give some interesting hybrids though am only interested in the ones which look like Ae. retusa.

Image of Ae. retusa for those not familiar with it;

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Lisaclv; "Hmmm....... several anomalies come to mind here. First, Ae. Lucky Stripes is albomarginated, and as such, generally produces albino seedlings. Mardi Gras, on the other hand, would produce green seedlings, same as an unvariegated gamosepala."

Not in my experience Lisa, Ae. luchy stripes creates green seedlings though when crossed with Ae. apocalyptica (variegate) will produce approximagely 5% variegated seedlings with the rest green, though when crossed with Variegated Ae. caudata will often produce albinos.

"Second, the plant on the left featured in both pics as Lucky Stripes x retusa doesn't show any signs of retusa."

If you saw this plant close up you would have a different opinion both foliage and flower. Images are deceiving when small and poor resolution.
I know the parents are as stated. not trying to be confrontational. Cheers allan

Allan, I think the Lucky Stripes plant was found in 1981.