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Payless ShoeSource and Christian Siriano Unveil Retailer's Latest Designer Label, Christian Siriano for Payless(TM), on the Runway at New York Fashion Week; Collection Due in Stores in Fall

Posted on: Thursday, 19 February 2009, 07:00 CST

NEW YORK, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- New York Fashion Designer Christian Siriano, season four winner of Bravo's Project Runway reality fashion series, will debut his first-ever shoe collection with Payless ShoeSource on the runway today at his ready-to-wear show at New York Fashion Week. After presenting his first stand-alone collection for Spring 2009 at last September's shows to critical acclaim, Siriano will now expand his offerings with the Christian Siriano for Payless(TM) designer label -- his footwear and handbag collection designed to complement his RTW line. The new Payless collection will be exclusively available at Payless stores and Payless.com in September.

Christian Siriano's Fall '09 RTW collection takes its inspiration from the natural beauty of the Egyptian landscape. The golden tones of the desert and the pyramids are brought to life in the form of sculptural, but feminine sportswear. Sophisticated with a touch of drama, silhouettes featuring rich teal and turquoise recall the waters of the Nile.

The Christian Siriano for Payless styles unveiled today take Christian's sleek runway aesthetic in an edgy direction. Each of the five shoe styles -- with creative names like Slither, Saunter, SheDevil, Sand Strap and Strut -- feature Christian's unique chunky conical heel designed to look like an inverted pyramid. Handbags -- the Shanbag tote and Sassafras clutch -- coordinate with the footwear silhouettes: two ankle booties and three hidden platform pumps, with accents of pyramid studs and draped chains. Rich materials such as shiny dark brown snakeskin and Egyptian hieroglyphic teal fabric also echo Christian's Egyptian inspiration.

"Christian is a tremendously innovative and creative design talent, and his first-ever collection for Payless is a fabulous representation of his unique vision," said LuAnn Via, CEO and president of Payless ShoeSource. "His Egyptian inspiration is reflected in amazing styling details and accents, and we expect shoppers to be thrilled to have access to Christian's affordable accessories come fall."

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.

"This is the first shoe collection I've designed and Payless has been fabulous," said Christian Siriano. "It was really incredible to have no limitation in shapes, materials or details. This is the way I think when designing my ready-to-wear pieces -- from a completely blank canvas. I can't wait to see the shoes on the runway!"

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 New York fashion designers and hot off the runway -- are a key piece of that strategy.

Siriano joins Lela Rose and the Lela Rose for Payless and Unforgettable Moments(TM) by Lela Rose labels, Stacey Bendet with alice + olivia for Payless, Abaete for Payless designer Laura Poretzky, 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 labels available in the United States today. For more information about Payless at New York Fashion Week and the company's Guest Designers, please see paylessontherunway.com.

About Christian Siriano

Please see http://www.christianvsiriano.com for information. Christian Siriano is represented by Designers Management Agency.

About Payless & Collective Brands, Inc.

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 third 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). Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at http://www.collectivebrands.com.

SOURCE Payless ShoeSource

Source: PR Newswire

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