BRANDINA THE ORIGINAL (U.S.) Announces 1st U.S. Location

NEW YORK, March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Brandina The Original is coming to the U.S.!  There will be a new tenant on King Street in Charleston, South Carolina this April. Currently, Bottega Brandina stores are found only in Italy and Spain.  

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110309/NY62282 )

The Bottega stores are reminiscent of the small shops and boutiques found in Europe specializing in just a few items.  Bottega Brandina shops specialize in handbags and accessories, 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 from that era.  

In addition to Charleston, other Bottega locations currently under consideration are La Jolla and  Laguna Beach California; Miami and Coral Gables, Florida; and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Charleston will not be the first U.S. sighting of these unique bags.  Brandina The Original was the exclusive handbag at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards®.  Over the course of three days, musicians, actors, and press received their choice of bags from the GRAMMY® Gift Lounge.

Here's what they said:

• "Joyful, sunny, easygoing vacation."  - Esperanza Spaulding (Best New Artist)
• "I love my Brandina!"  - Marika Anthony-Shaw (Arcade Fire – Album of the Year)
• "Really cute line, inventive." - Alex Band
• "My wife will love this!"  - Justin Guarini (American Idol)
• "This one caught my eye" (when referring to the Penthouse bag in the Esedra fabric) – Martina McBride (singer)
• "That's cool."  "Great product."  "So cute." - Jennifer Hudson (singer, actress)
• "So, I could put suntan lotion all over my body and lay on the bag?"  - Sean Kinney (Alice In Chains)
• "It's so sweet." "I love it." "It's a nice bag, I would wear it." – Cyndi Lauper
• "Oh fantastic! So pretty, so nice." – Elizabeth Rohm (actress, Law and Order)
• "That's a great idea" (when referring to the unique sun-lounger fabric on the bag) – Greg Grunberg (TV show Heros)
• "It's so cute." – Nicole Ari Parker
• "They're all great, I would take every color!" – Alison Sweeney (actress, host of Biggest Loser)
• "Oh, that's kinda cool." – Herbie Hancock (pianist, composer, bandleader)
• "How fun!" "Fantastic, I love it!"  "I'll be rockin' the blue"  - Taylor Dayne (singer)
• "That's really nice." – Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine)
• "Wonderful!" – Yolanda Adams (singer)
• "Love it…and the bag, love it!" – Shanola Hampton
• "They're sick!" – Winston Marshall (Mumford & Sons)
• "Really looking forward to trying one of the helmets on." (when referring to the Brandina scooter helmet) – Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons)
• "It's badass!" – Shar Jackson (actress)
• "I'm going to Cabo with my bag." – Justin Rivers (musician)
• "I like the Brandina towel." – Rami Jaffee (Foo Fighters)
• "That's awesome!"  "I think it's a great idea!  They are incredibly tough." "It's heaven for me, I lose my keys all the time." (when referring to the trademark ring pull designed for every bag) – Jeremy Davis (Paramore)
• "Love Brandina, what more can I say?" – Taylor York (Paramore)
• "This is great stuff, it's really great to see this!" – Jay Bentley (Bad Religion)

Individual photos are available from Wire Image at www.wireimage.com, search "Grammy Gift Lounge."

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Passport Brands, Inc.

Passport Brands, Inc. (Pink Sheets: 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 Brandina The Original