ANN INC., Parent Company of Ann Taylor and LOFT, and Vital Voices Global Partnership Announce 2012 ANNpower Fellows

NEW YORK, May 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ANN INC. (NYSE: ANN), the parent Company of Ann Taylor and LOFT, and Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international NGO that empowers global women leaders, are proud to announce the 2012 ANNpower Fellows.

Through a competitive application process during the month of March, ANN INC. and Vital Voices Global Partnership have selected 50 young women who are rising high school juniors and seniors across the U.S. to become ANNpower Fellows and participate in the first annual ANNpower Vital Voices Leadership Forum.  The 50 ANNpower Fellows hail from 24 states across the U.S. including California, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Texas and New York. To meet the 2012 ANNpower Fellows, visit ANNpower.org.

The ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative is a groundbreaking partnership between ANN INC. and Vital Voices. Together, they are working to train and empower young women in the U.S. to invest in their communities and begin their journey as the next generation of leaders.

The Fellows will attend the ANNpower Vital Voices Leadership Forum, a three-day leadership training program in Washington, D.C. from June 4-7, 2012.  The Forum's curriculum will be based on the Vital Voices Leadership Model. Fellows will be mentored by 12 global women leaders who are part of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Network as well as executives from ANN INC. After completing the curriculum, the 50 ANNpower Fellows will be challenged to go back to their communities and create a project that will affect change at the local level. Each fellow will be eligible to apply to receive a project grant to put her ideas into action.

"At ANN INC., we are deeply committed to supporting the next generation of female leaders and are proud to play a significant role in the development of our 50 ANNpower Fellows," said Kay Krill, President and CEO of ANN INC., "It is a privilege to partner with Vital Voices on this initiative.  Their commitment to women's empowerment worldwide is inspiring to us all."

"We are so proud to announce the 2012 ANNpower Fellows. These young women are taking their first step as rising leaders, recognizing their power, voice and responsibility to stand up and make change. We could not have a better partner than ANN INC. to help us do this.  The ANNpower Vital Voices Leadership Forum is an opportunity to build and empower a national network of young women leaders," said Vital Voices President and CEO Alyse Nelson.

ANN INC. has committed to invest $1.3 million over four years to support the ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative. In 2011, the first 10 ANNpower Grantees represented an engaged, diverse, and talented group of young women who are currently working on projects that serve their communities in a meaningful way.

To learn more about the ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative, visit ANNpower.org.

About ANN INC.

ANN INC. is the parent Company of Ann Taylor and LOFT, two of the leading women's specialty retail fashion brands in the United States. The Company operates 953 Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Factory, LOFT and LOFT Outlet stores in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as of January 28, 2012, as well as online at AnnTaylor.com and LOFT.com. Visit ANNINC.com for more information (NYSE: ANN).

About Vital Voices Global Partnership:

Vital Voices Global Partnership is a leading non-governmental organization that identifies, invests in and brings visibility to extraordinary women around the world by unleashing their leadership potential to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities. Founded by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 1997, the organization trains and mentors women leaders as agents of transformative change in economic development, human rights and political participation. The Vital Voices Global Leadership Network includes more than 12,000 leaders representing 144 countries that have trained and mentored 500,000 additional women and girls in their communities. Visit www.vitalvoices.org to learn more.

SOURCE ANN INC.