Brandina The Original Launches U.S. Presence at the GRAMMY Awards® Gift Lounge

NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Brandina The Original announced the launch of its U.S. marketing campaign in conjunction with the official 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards® Gift Lounge.  Music's Biggest Night® will be held on Sunday, February 13 and broadcast live on the CBS Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The brand will present its product line of handbags and accessories exclusively to presenters and performers. Brandina is one of only 20 brands exclusively selected to present their brands/products in conjunction with this year's show.

Among the scheduled list of high visibility presenters and performers are Eminem, Cee Lo Green, Lady Gaga, Miranda Lambert, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Usher.

Brandina is built around the relaxed, fun-filled, authentic lifestyle of the 1950's Italian Riviera. Its products are crafted from the unique fabric originally used on the iconic sun loungers and beach chairs of that era. The modern color and patterns of the brand are the brainchild of Italian designer Marco Morosini.  Morosini recently teamed up with U.S. partner Passport Brands, Inc. to bring the brand to the U.S.

Bob Stec, CEO Passport Brands, stated, "We are very excited to have been able to team up with such a prestigious and high profile event to launch our brand in the U.S. market. It is a dream come true to be able to present our brand one on one with such an amazing array of influential talent in world of music and fashion."

"Our goal is always to share unique finds and undiscovered treasures with the star-studded list of visitors to our GRAMMY Gift Lounge," says Distinctive Assets' founder Lash Fary.  "This iconic Italian brand is a perfect fit for the jet-set lifestyle of the celebrities who will be scooping up Brandina's fabulous and fun handbags."  Distinctive Assets manages and creates the Official Backstage Talent Gift Lounge.

Company operated retail boutiques, named Bottega Brandina, are scheduled to open in April of 2011.  Actual locations have not yet been announced but La Jolla, Laguna Beach, Coral Gables, Miami, Charleston, and Las Vegas are under consideration.

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Passport Brands, Inc.

Passport Brands, Inc. (PBIX) is a designer, merchandiser and marketer of upper-end niche branded apparel and accessories sold in leading department and specialty stores.  The company operates a disciplined and focused marketing and sourcing platform for a diverse growing portfolio of both licensed and owned brands. U.S. marketed brands currently include the "European Blue Line " of Marithe & Francois Girbaud for young men, Flow Society, authentic lacrosse lifestyle gear for young men, women and boys, and Brandina The Original, an Italian based lifestyle brand focusing on the handbag and accessory categories for women.  The company is growing a stable of sustainable niche brands across higher end categories and consumer segments through a combination of their internal merchandising and marketing skills and its financial and logistics partnership with Samsung. For more information please visit the company web site at www.passportbrandsinc.com; www.liveontheflygirbaud.com; www.flowsocietylacrosse.com; www.brandinatheoriginal.us

The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated.

SOURCE Passport Brands, Inc.