NEW YORK and DENVER and TOPEKA, Kan., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Designer and street style icon, jeffstaple, chief designer of Staple Design, a
visual communications and apparel design company based in New York City's
Lower East Side, announced today a multi-year agreement for Staple to create
exclusive Airwalk(R) seasonal collections for fall and spring exclusively
available at Payless under the STPL(TM) 4 Airwalk(R) brand.
Staple, also owner and founder of Staple Clothing and Reed Space, defies a
singular description as a creative talent in graphic, web, clothing and shoe
design, as well as an artist, DJ, curator, sneakerhead, writer, entrepreneur,
tastemaker, and arbiter of street style. He has been heavily sought after for
his creative influence by the likes of Nike, Burton, Apple Computers, The Gap
and Sony Playstation, among other companies and brands.
"This collaboration with a designer of Jeff's stature and influence is
tremendous for the Airwalk brand," said Bruce Pettet, president and chief
executive officer of the Collective Licensing International, owner of the
Airwalk brand. "This alliance fits the brand's heritage and, more
importantly, helps us continue to innovate and build the Airwalk brand with
our target consumer."
The exclusive STPL(TM) 4 Airwalk(R) line will launch in fall '09 at about
400 Payless stores and Payless.com(R) and is expected to include as many as 12
original designs for men and women each season including new silhouettes and
core Airwalk styles featuring mixed materials and contemporary, progressive
details stressing streetwear and skate style. The new line will sell for
about $50 a pair.
"The Airwalk brand is America's original skate and youth lifestyle
innovator and it is very popular among shoppers of all ages," said LuAnn Via,
president and CEO of Payless ShoeSource. "With this new alliance, we are able
to infuse Jeff's unique design talent into the brand to create this exclusive
collection. We are thrilled to partner with Jeff on this new collection. He
has a pulse on youth culture and street style, and we are excited to see his
creativity come through in this new Airwalk line."
Airwalk brand styling is inspired by boardsports, music and street
culture.
"Payless is democratizing the latest ideas in footwear by making them
accessible and affordable to all. I am very excited to join in this
philosophy and approach," said jeffstaple. "When I was growing up and busting
my butt trying to skateboard, Airwalk and the essence of the brand was such a
huge influence. The design Sneakerhead in me today is really excited to
create fresh new silhouettes that embody the skate park and the street.
"What gets me most excited, though, is the reach of Payless. I feel like
the age of '1-of-24' or '1-of-100' is becoming obsolete. If you were a graf
artist, you did the side of a train so everyone could experience your
creation. As a graphic designer, I want my works published and available for
everyone to see. As a DJ, I want to play in front of the biggest possible
crowd. So why shouldn't this same philosophy hold true for sneaker design? I
am really looking forward to reaching this wider audience and having a larger
impact as a designer. Thanks Payless!"
About jeffstaple and Staple Design
With his hands in just about everything, 33-year-old, Jeff Ng, aka
jeffstaple, has masterfully created an entire world of communicating through
design. Not known solely for his massive sneaker collection, the founder/owner
of Staple Design, Staple Clothing, and Reed Space is a graphic, web, and
clothing designer, artist, DJ, writer, entrepreneur, and is responsible for
the design work for companies such as Nike, Burton, Gianni Versace, Royal
Elastics, Triple Five Soul, The Fader Magazine, The Gap, Sony Playstation, and
Apple Computers.
Staple Design is an independent, visual communications agency. Its goal
is to understand the relationships that exist between intriguing companies and
their target consumers. Formulating a straight-line channel of communication
between the two is what the firm does best. The team's strength lies in its
mere existence. They research the consumer to the point where they actually
become the consumer. While most agencies begin the design process with
"answers" or "solutions," they start with "questions". For more information
go to http://www.stapledesign.com.
About Payless
Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a unit of Collective Brands, Inc., is the
largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere and is
dedicated to democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories and
inspiring fun, fashion possibilities for the family at a great value. As of
the end of the second quarter 2008, the company operated more than 4,500
stores. In addition, customers can buy shoes over the Internet through
Payless.com(R) at http://www.payless.com.
Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS), headquartered in Topeka, Kan., is a
leader in bringing compelling lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for
footwear and related accessories to consumers worldwide. The company operates
three strategic units covering a powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple
price points and selling channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and
licensing. Collective Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, also
headquartered in Topeka, focused on democratizing fashion and design in
footwear and accessories through its more than 4,500-store retail chain, with
its brands American Eagle(TM), Airwalk(R), Dexter(R), Champion(R) and designer
collections Abaete for Payless(TM), Lela Rose for Payless(TM) and alice +
olivia for Payless(TM), Patricia Field for Payless(TM), among others; Stride
Rite, based in Lexington, Mass., focused on lifestyle and athletic branded
footwear and high-quality children's footwear sold primarily through
wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite(R), Keds(R), Sperry
Top-Sider(R), Robeez(R), and Saucony(R), among others; and Collective
Licensing International, Englewood, Colo., the brand development, management
and global licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk(R),
Vision Street Wear(R), Lamar(R), Sims(R), LTD(R), genetic(R), Dukes(TM),
Rage(R), Ultra-Wheels(R), and Skate Attack(R). Information about, and links
for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at
http://www.collectivebrands.com.
