NEW YORK, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- While consumers survey the fresh crop of spring fashion now popping up in stores, Bryant Park fast-forwards to fall by offering industry insiders a sneak-peek of the fall 08 fashions-to-come. Payless ShoeSource is again on the New York Fashion Week scene with guest designers Laura Poretzky, Lela Rose and Stacey Bendet to unveil the retailer's designer footwear and handbag collections for fall, which will hit stores beginning August 2008 for under $45 an item.
Shoppers can soon satisfy their designer-for-less appetites for spring. The spring 08 Abaete for Payless, Lela Rose for Payless and alice + olivia for Payless collections will be available in just a few weeks at select Payless stores and Payless.com. These bold designer lines featuring runway looks for less will continue full force at Payless. The alice + olivia spring line is Stacey Bendet's first collection for Payless with summer and fall lines forthcoming. The collections for Rose and Poretzky will continue at Payless stores for several more seasons.
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 -- are a key piece of that strategy.
"We are thrilled to be with our three designers at the nation's premier fashion event -- New York Fashion Week," said Matt Rubel, chief executive officer for Payless ShoeSource. "Our Guest Designer program is truly unique in the industry. Each designer has a distinctive design vocabulary that results in three very different collections in our stores. There is no limit to the designer's creativity; they produce the designs and we create the shoes for their Fashion Week runway shows, and then commercialize those looks for Payless stores.
"It's a win for all -- customers get access to great designs and original runway style at a great price; the designers are supported, gain a new platform for their creativity, as well as broader access to their designs; and Payless is able to offer true Designer Collections -- among the most widely distributed designer footwear labels in America today."
Unveiled today at the Abaete runway show and mirroring her inspirations for the fall 08 ready-to-wear (RTW) line, Laura Poretzky's eighth shoe and accessory collection for Payless will incorporate medieval influences such as metal and stud detailing combined with soft silhouettes that channel '30s designer Madam Gres. The interplay of hard and soft textures will pop with a robust range of colors inspired by James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room. Two pumps, a bootie, and two handbags styles will hit the runway in black, brown, midnight blue, armor grey, copper and pewter featuring draped, pleated satins and crepes combined with leather trim and perfectly placed pewter and copper studs.
The fall 08 Lela Rose collection focuses on the venturesome woman characterized by modern agility. Rose's "Sporty Cocktail" inspiration has been a strong theme in her Payless shoe collection and factors heavily into her fifth collection for Payless. The designer presents an elegant twist on "sport" with a sophisticated palette of vibrant colors such as mallard green, cardinal red, and goldfinch. Four pumps, a wedge and two flat styles hit the runway with Lela's signature focus on interesting and unique fabrics, such as casual ribbed wool with elegant satin combinations.
Next Thursday, Stacey Bendet will reveal her third shoe collection with Payless at a presentation at the alice + olivia store across from Bryant Park. Bendet presents her fall 08 RTW via a "Breakfast in Bed" theme that showcases four different alice + olivia women at their sexiest moments in the morning. Bendet's footwear collection combines '60s pop colors, '70s silhouette references and brocade and silk fabrications to add edge to the feminine apparel. The shoes include four boots, a mary jane wedge and a mary jane flat. The footwear transcends across all the RTW looks in the fall collection, punctuating each outfit with unique silhouettes, strong styling details, bold colors and high shine with patent and laminated fabrics.
About Payless Guest Designers
Laura Poretzky, Lela Rose and Stacey Bendet are Payless Guest Designers -- select fashion designers that create designer footwear and accessory collections featuring the latest runway looks, which Payless brings to its stores at value prices. Each collection is unique and reflective of the designer's signature style: Poretzky's "American international," drawing from her rich international experiences living in Brazil, France and New York, Rose's strong focus on "classic with a twist," and Bendet's "retro sophisticate." The Payless Guest Designer program is a key strategy in Payless' overall mission to democratize fashion in footwear and accessories. For more information about Payless at New York Fashion Week and the company's Guest Designers, please see paylessontherunway.com.
About Laura Poretzky
Laura Poretzky is a New York-based designer who designs under the Abaete label. She was born in France to a Russian father and a Danish-Brazilian mother, and raised between Paris, Rio de Janeiro and New York. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Laura went on to work at some of the most prestigious fashion houses in New York. After the launch of her successful swimwear line, Laura extended her designs into a complete line of ready-to-wear apparel and now footwear -- drawing as much on her experience as a New Yorker as on her Latina and Eurasian roots.
About Lela Rose
Lela Rose is a Texas native and 1993 graduate of the Parson's School of Design. She worked at Christian Francis Roth as Design Assistant and soon after with Richard Tyler as Design Assistant and Fabric Buyer. In 1998, Rose's vision and passion compelled her to create her signature ready-to-wear collection, Lela Rose, with studio headquarters in New York City. Through intricately designed and finely detailed separates, dresses and jackets, Rose has established herself as a renowned designer. In 2007, Rose launched a wedding collection focused on pairing unconventional fabrics and techniques -- a trademark of the designer. Rose is rounding out her offering with the designer footwear and accessory collection, Lela Rose for Payless.
About Stacey Bendet
Founded in 2002 by Stacey Bendet, alice + olivia launched its "just pants" collection to rave reviews. Soon thereafter, Andrew Rosen, founder of Theory, became Stacey's partner in the company. Using innovative fabrics and unique designs, alice + olivia successfully expanded into tops, dresses, eveningwear, sweaters, bathing suits, denim and men's, creating a unique lifestyle brand for today's retro sophisticate. The collection is available at its signature boutiques and in over 500 stores around the world such as Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, Scoop, and Neiman Marcus.
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 third quarter 2007, 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. 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(R), 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), Lamar(R), Sims(R), LTD(R), genetic(TM), Dukes(R), 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/.
