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Per Se Summer Collection Celebrates Old Hollywood, With Retro Silhouettes, Dramatic Prints & Shimmering Patinas in Sumptuous Fabrics

Posted on: Wednesday, 25 March 2009, 08:45 CDT

Upscale Direct Sales Women's Clothing Line Continues to Take Connecticut by Storm by Wooing Well-heeled Fashionistas with Entrepreneurial Zeal to Sell the Line

NEW YORK, March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Women looking to get a jump on the carefree days of summer just got one step closer, thanks to Per Se (www.persecollection.com). Today, the contemporary women's clothing line unveiled its summer collection in select Connecticut markets, with versatile looks that are sure to bring women much fun in the sun! Indeed, the new collection has something for every taste. Whether going to a gala event, heading to the office or packing for a weekend get-away, women wearing the Per Se summer collection will undoubtedly experience this fun-filled, adventurous season with confidence.

The new collection is deliberately eclectic, featuring items which celebrate old Hollywood glamour, chic days in Morocco, jazz infused evenings, as well as sophisticated, playful short looks for leggy summer days and nights.

"This collection will give the impression that our clients have jet-setted across the globe to build their summer wardrobe. In truth, the Per Se designer has done all of the leg work for our clients, traveling all over the world to track down the perfect fabrics and partnering with our in-house pattern makers to create truly inspired looks. It's all in one collection and easily available through a one-on-one appointment with one of our wardrobe consultants," says Bill Rondina, Chairman and CEO of The Connaught Group, Per Se's parent company.

Connaught continues to woo well-heeled, entrepreneurial women and men to sell Per Se as wardrobe consultants, as the company expands the line's availability in Connecticut and looks to conquer New Jersey, Westchester and Long Island next. With hand selected and trained Consultants prepared to showcase Per Se in a number of Southern CT townships this month, the recruiting team is now actively spending time in Greenwich, Darien, Ridgefield, New Canaan, Westport, Norwalk, Westin, Fairfield, West Hartford. They are also focused on key northern CT suburbs including Madison, Avon, Guilford, West Hartford, Southbury, Waterbury, Middlebury, and North Haven in search of the perfect entrepreneurial wardrobe consultants to represent the collection.

Beginning March 27th, wardrobe consultants in Darien, Greenwich, Westport and Stamford will showcase the collection "by appointment only" in their homes, country clubs or personal store fronts for a week at a time, through the end of April. Women can connect with their local Per Se consultant by contacted the corporate office at 212 246-2555, extension 3653 or via email at myconsultant@persecollection.com

"Our creative process always starts with our clients in mind. Our designers take all of the trends and narrow the scope so that the client can choose from elegant ensembles and statement pieces that work from day to night. More and more women are abandoning the mayhem of the retail experience in favor of a more focused, private wardrobing appointment with us. Instead of worrying about last minute shopping, our clients are scheduling appointments with our consultants to ensure that they are shopping smart and stylish just four times a year," explains Caroline Bowen, President of The Connaught Group.

The expansion of the Per Se line and growing team of direct sales consultants is quite timely given the current state of the economy. Indeed, as brick-and-mortar stores go by the wayside, direct sales fashion - estimated to be a $30.8 billion industry by the Direct Selling Association - is experiencing a renaissance, with further growth expected.

SUMMER 2009 SERVED-UP PER SE STYLE

The Per Se Summer Collection features a number of MUST-have trends for stylish women this season including:

• The New Glam: It's in with the old. Old Hollywood, that is. The irrepressible spirit of Lombard and Harlow are reflected in truly inspired silhouettes of easy elegance that spill, drape and cascade along the curves. Designs with retro fabrics in blouses of viscose crepe, silk chiffon, stretch charmeuse; the fluid rivulets of pleats and tucks. Don't stop there - as the necklines speak a thousand words whether they are draped or haltered.
• Tribal Arts: Be seduced by the exotic by way of exquisite clothing with decorative influences from Africa and India. With a bit of nomad in our soul, we've interpreted rich multi-cultural elements into skirts and blouses far beyond the ordinary. There's natural Indian silk hand-appliqued and African block print of white sequins and black beads that look like polished stones or a Moroccan tile motif hand-embroidered on silk doupioni with hand-appliqued bronze beads, ultra-suede disks and metallic threads. Or just a hint of tribal can be launched with our bead-embellished bag on a crocheted/antique brass link chain that you might have picked up on your last trip to Morocco.
• Short Takes: Keep it short. Leggy is cool this season and knows no boundaries. Make a statement with this season's assortment of suit-y short ensembles. Abbreviate your look in a snappy white canvas walking short topped with something suit-y, shiny, sporty or sheer for your desired daytime or evening destination. The mini-skort is making a comeback with a modern twist - make way for the metallic linen wrapped with the over-front panel coupled with its matching jacket for the hottest new suit of the season.
• Le Jazz Cool: This season, patinas are showing up cooler and frostier for shimmer that teases the eye and imagination. Look for jazz club glamour in statement pieces made with antique gold on linen, patterned gold geometrics on Italian knits, or pearlized sequins on a stretch knit that shimmer like floating snow globes through silk chiffon-covered metal discs.
• Retro Prints That Make You Go WOW: Bold floral, exploding chain patterns, abstract waffle weaves and wild kingdom animal prints are all center stage. Larger than life prints demand respect this season by dramatizing the best summer looks against a backdrop of hip, romantic, artful and exotic, off-the-beaten path patterns.

Images from the Collection featuring these trends can be found on the newly launched Per Se website, www.persecollection.com.

A SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WORTHY OF THE WOMAN

Here are just a few things that differentiate the Per Se Collection and client experience:

EXPERIENCED DESIGNERS: The Per Se management and design teams possess an outstanding fashion pedigree, having gained experience at Christian Dior, Bill Blass, Tahari, Ellen Tracy and Burberry, among others. Each collection is the result of this collective knowledge, intuitive design sense and studied understanding of the perfect fit and function.

PERSONALIZED SERVICE: The Per Se consultant acts as personal stylist, using her fashion expertise to develop and customize a fun, functional wardrobe tailored to the client's personality and lifestyle. Consultants keep records of all clients' purchases for easy coordination of existing and current pieces. Many consultants even make personalized "closet calls" to help clients maximize their wardrobes by putting things together in new ways.

GREAT PRICES: Because the Per Se line is sold only through trunk shows, the conventional and costly retail overhead is eliminated. This direct sales business model allows Per Se consultants to offer superior quality clothing at extremely competitive prices.

The Summer Collection falls within the following price range:

Jackets/Coats: $395-$595

Pants/Skirts: $265-$425

Knits/Tees/Blouses: $210-295

Dresses: $395-$475

FABULOUS FABRICS: The Per Se designers are fabric snobs and proud of it! While each season's collection is stylistically distinct, all offer couture-caliber textiles from the best mills in England, Italy and France. Whether it's a rich boucle for a jacket, a silky charmeuse for a lining or a high-tech stretch for a pant, our fabrics give our pieces quality and character.

QUALITY MANUFACTURING: From the design to the finishing, each Per Se piece is impeccably made, down to the very last detail. From linings and seams, to zippers, buttons and trim, each perfect garment is the product of our longtime relationships with Hong Kong's most discerning manufacturers. This ensures a level of consistency that is rare among design houses, but customary for the Connaught Group, Per Se's parent company.

BUILDING THE PER SE TEAM

The Connaught Group is actively expanding its Per Se team with the launch of Per Se consultants in Connecticut and further expansion planned. Candidates interested in joining the team should contact Edie Dance at (850) 484-8120, or send an email to edance@connaughtgroup.com.

Women interested in booking an appointment with their local Per Se Wardrobe consultant or in our NYC Showroom can do so by contacting Per Se at (212) 246-2555, ext. 3653, or by sending an email to myconsultant@persecollection.com.

Press interested in learning more are encouraged to contact Kathleen Lucente at Klucente@persecollection.com or (512) 217-6352. TV producers/anchors: Please note b-roll footage of the Per Se Summer Collection runway show is available.

ABOUT THE CONNAUGHT GROUP AND PER SE:

Headquartered in New York City, The Connaught Group, Ltd. is a leader in designing and delivering direct sales high-end fashion combined with a superior personalized shopping experience for stylish, busy women. For over 27 years, Connaught has cultivated a reputation for creating exquisite clothing held to couture-level design standards with the Carlisle Collection, affiliated brand, Etcetera and now the Per Se Collection. Sold exclusively through appointment-only trunk shows four times a year, Per Se is a sophisticated, modern clothing line for busy women who are confident in how they dress and not afraid to mix and match. Per Se clients love breaking the traditional fashion codes to create their own unique fashion standard.

SOURCE Per Se Collection

Source: PR Newswire

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