TOPEKA, Kan., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Payless ShoeSource
announced today that it has signed a deal with fashion designer Christian
Siriano, who launched his career when he won season four of Bravo's Project
Runway reality fashion series. After presenting his first stand-alone
collection for Spring 2009 to critical acclaim during New York Fashion Week
this past September, Siriano will now expand to create the Christian Siriano
for Payless designer label -- his first-ever footwear and handbag collection.
The new collection will be unveiled at Siriano's runway show at New York
Fashion Week next February and then exclusively available in Payless stores
and Payless.com in fall '09.
"Christian is among the next great American fashion designers, and we are
thrilled to continue to expand the Payless Designer Collections and to add
Christian as our newest designer partner," said LuAnn Via, president and chief
executive officer of Payless ShoeSource. "His talent, experience and
personality provide a winning combination, and we are excited to see his
designs come alive on the runway next February and to bring them to shoppers
across America next fall season."
Since his Project Runway fame, Siriano has gone on to build his label,
Christian Siriano, with a strong celebrity following including Victoria
Beckham, Anne Hathaway, Heidi Klum, Becki Newton and Vanessa Williams, among
others.
The deal covers multi-season collections including footwear and handbags
for women. Price points are expected to be in the $25 - $45 range.
"I'm so excited to design and create with such an amazing brand that is
all about fashion and trend but, most importantly, is also about
affordability," said Siriano. "I've already been working with the Payless
Design Team in New York, and I can't wait to see how they will take the high-
end shoes and bags I'm designing for the runway and turn them into pieces that
everyone can buy. I'm all about the runway and the sidewalks!"
About Payless Designer Collections & Guest Designers
Payless is on a mission to democratize fashion and design in footwear and
accessories. The Payless Designer Collections -- seasonal lines of original
footwear and handbags created by fashion designers and hot off the runway --
are a key piece of that strategy.
Siriano joins Abaete for Payless designer Laura Poretzky, Lela Rose and
the Lela Rose for Payless label, Stacey Bendet with alice + olivia for Payless
and style icon Patricia Field with Patricia Field for Payless capsule
collections. This select group of fashion designers and stylists create
designer footwear and accessory collections for Payless featuring the latest
runway and red carpet styling details. Each collection is unique and
reflective of the designer's signature style. Payless' designer collections
are among the most broadly distributed designer footwear lines available in
the United States today.
About Christian Siriano
Please see http://www.christianvsiriano.com for information. Christian
Siriano is represented by Designers Management Agency.
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 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) 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, 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, Lela Rose for Payless and alice +
olivia for Payless, among others; Stride Rite, 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, the brand development, management and global
licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk(R), Vision Street
Wear(R), Sims(R), Lamar(R) and LTD(R), World Snowboarding Championships(TM),
Sugarboards(R), Carve(R), genetic(R), Dukes(TM), Rage(R), Ultra-Wheels(R), and
Skate Attack(R) brands. Information about, and links for shopping on, each of
the Collective Brand's units can be found at http://www.collectivebrands.com.
