Payless ShoeSource Debuts Designer Footwear Collections With Three Guest Designers at New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- While most shoppers are re-booting for fall, New York Fashion Week at Bryant Park is in full bloom showcasing the hottest trends-to-come for the Spring 2008 season. Payless ShoeSource is present with its guest designers Laura Poretzky, Lela Rose and Stacey Bendet to unveil the retailer's designer footwear and handbag collections, which will hit stores in February 2008 with an average price of under $30 an item.

Shoppers don't have to wait to get the latest runway looks for less, however. Right now, consumers can snag the Payless fall Designer Collections -- Abaete for Payless and Lela Rose for Payless -- available now in select Payless stores and Payless.com. The fall collections are Poretzky's fifth and Rose's first seasonal collection designed exclusively for Payless. Bendet just signed on with Payless earlier this year, and her spring collection will be her first for the retailer.

Payless is on a mission to democratize fashion and design in footwear and accessories. The Payless Designer Collections -- seasonal lines of original footwear and handbag designs 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 -- most styles looking near-exact to the styles from the runway.

"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 and 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."

Poretzky will unveil her sixth shoe and accessory collection for Payless today at her Abaete show at New York Fashion Week. Miami Deco meets '40s film and stage actress Gene Tierney in the Spring '08 Collection, which features six shoe styles and two handbags. Bold Miami hues such as "deco pink," "summer sky" "sunset coral" "canary yellow" and "Palm Beach sand" hook up with vintage-inspired heels and flats that feature round and peep-toes, ruched pleat details in silk crepe fabric, perforated kidskin leather, stretch linen and snake skin.

The Hepburns come together in the Lela Rose for Payless Spring '08 Collection, due to unveil tomorrow at the Lela Rose show. The line features eight shoe styles, two handbags and a range of belts all inspired by the timeless sporty spirit of Katherine Hepburn meshed with the glamorous femininity of Audrey Hepburn. As with the current Lela Rose for Payless fall collection, the spring collection features Lela's signature fabrics and a unique mix of textures including burlap linen, dungaree, and colored PVC combined with casual-yet-rich touches of brown saddle leather piping and frayed knotted details. The palette for Lela's Spring '08 RTW collection, inspired by Matisse, features bold colors such as persimmon, tomato red, and bright Gold all mixed with splashes of marine navy. The shoes deliver a sporty elegance designed to mix and match with Lela Rose's clothing and to transition from day to evening.

On Sept. 11, Stacey Bendet will unveil her first-ever shoe collection at a presentation at the alice + olivia store near Bryant Park. With a rock-n-roll twist on '60s-femininity and '70s-sophistication, Bendet's first collection for Payless includes six original shoe styles, including "shoecessories," and two coordinating handbags all designed to mix and match with her mod, wondrous '60s and '70s-inspired spring line. The shoes are bold and graphic with pops of color -- an alice + olivia signature -- often partially hidden in the footbed or outsole of the shoes.

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. Laura Poretzky and the Abaete brand are represented by Designer's Management Agency.

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. Earlier this year, Rose also 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., the largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere, is dedicated to democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories to inspire fun fashion possibilities for the family. As of the end of the second quarter 2007, Payless operated more than 4,200 stores. In addition, customers can buy shoes over the Internet through Payless.com(R) at http://www.payless.com/

Payless is a business unit of Collective Brands, Inc. , the consumer-centric global footwear, accessories and lifestyle brand company, reaching customers through multiple price points and selling channels. Collective Brands, Inc. is the holding company of Payless ShoeSource, Stride Rite and Collective Licensing International. Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at http://www.collectivebrands.com/