Shoes expected to be available to consumers for spring 2009 season
ST. LOUIS, May 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grammy Award-winning
singer, songwriter and actress Fergie can add one more credit to her
lengthy list -- shoe maven. Brown Shoe (NYSE: BWS)
(http://www.brownshoe.com) has signed with the multi-platinum artist to
create her namesake shoe brand, appealing to fashionistas and Fergie fans
alike.
"I have always loved fashion because it's a great way to express your
mood. And I'm definitely a shoe lover," said Fergie. "The right pair of
shoes can change the feel of an outfit, and even change how a woman feels
about herself. A woman can wear confidence on her feet with a high
stiletto, or slip into weekend comfort with a soft ballet flat."
Brown Shoe product developers are collaborating with Fergie to capture
her style sensibilities in a debut collection for spring 2009. Retailers
can take a sneak peek at early designs at the June 2008 Fashion Footwear
Association of New York (FFANY) shoe show. Plans for the launch of Fergie
footwear include a dedicated web site and personal appearances.
"We envision the Fergie consumer as a woman who is chic and
fashionable, loves to wear the latest trends, and looks for distinctive
details when shopping for shoes to add to her already considerable
collection -- much like Fergie herself," said Brown Shoe Wholesale
President Gary Rich. "Women around the globe know and love Fergie for her
music and her bold style. Through this footwear partnership, we can
establish another way for Fergie to connect with her fans."
The partnership was facilitated by Fergie's marketing agents at
Wilhelmina Artist Management. "When representing a talent like Fergie, who
was the biggest selling female artist of the past year, we have one
mandate, and that is to find partners and brands that are the most
successful in their category and representative of the true essence of the
artist," states Sean Patterson, President Wilhelmina Artist Management.
"With her sense of style, her talent, and her core interests, we are
pleased to partner Fergie with Brown Shoe."
Fergie is a three-time Grammy Award winner with four number one
singles, including three from her six million-selling debut solo album The
Dutchess. She was named Best Pop/Rock Female Artist at the 2007 American
Music Awards and Best Female Artist at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, and
performed at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in February. Fergie's recent
projects include a song for the Sex and the City: The Movie soundtrack,
"Labels or Love," which features the television show's recognizable theme
music, and a collaboration with rapper Nelly. In addition to the movie
soundtrack, "Labels Or Love" will also be one of four bonus tracks on the
deluxe new edition re-release of The Dutchess.
Brown Shoe's roster of entertainment brand partners includes legendary
musician Carlos Santana, country music superstar Reba McEntire and
television personality Gretta Monahan.
About Brown Shoe
Brown Shoe is a $2.4 billion footwear company with global operations.
Brown Shoe's Retail division operates Famous Footwear, the approximately
1,100-store chain that sells brand name shoes for the family, approximately
300 specialty retail stores in the U.S., Canada, and China under the
Naturalizer, Brown Shoe Closet, FX LaSalle, and Franco Sarto names, and
Shoes.com, the Company's e-commerce subsidiary. Brown Shoe, through its
Wholesale divisions, owns and markets leading footwear brands including
Naturalizer, LifeStride, Via Spiga, Nickels Soft, Connie and Buster Brown;
it also markets licensed brands including Franco Sarto, Dr. Scholl's,
Etienne Aigner, Carlos by Carlos Santana and Hot Kiss, as well as Barbie,
Disney and Nickelodeon character footwear for children. Brown Shoe press
releases are available on the Company's website at
http://www.brownshoe.com.
About Wilhelmina Artist Management
In 1998, as an innovator in the industry, Wilhelmina Models became the
first fashion company to develop a specific division to exclusively
represent premier talent in the worlds of music, sports and entertainment.
Today, that division called Wilhelmina Artist Management, is one of the
industry's finest, with a roster that includes Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield,
Heather Graham, Amy Smart and Justin Chambers, among others.
Wilhelmina Artist Management creates, develops and manages
celebrity-powered campaigns, product lines, private brand licensing,
endorsements, sponsorships, talent appearances and corporate entertainment
strategies.
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