Designer Rachel Roy and Grammy Award Winning Singer/Songwriter Estelle Co-Design Limited Edition Capsule Jewelry Collection

NEW YORK, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Designer Rachel Roy partnered with Grammy award winning singer and songwriter Estelle to create a capsule jewelry collection exclusively for the Rachel Rachel Roy brand, a division of Jones Apparel Group (NYSE: JNY). The limited edition, limited quantity collection, which was co-designed by Rachel Roy and Estelle, includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings available for sale beginning March 2010.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click:  http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/rachelroy/41989/

Before the full release of the collection, fans of Rachel Roy's Facebook page will have an opportunity to be the first to shop an edited version of the collection, including one ring style that is exclusive to Facebook and will not be available as part of the full collection. The special Facebook pop-up store begins at 6am EST on February 9th and ends at 6pm EST on February 11th.

A mutual love of costume jewelry brought Rachel and Estelle together and the collection reflects their affinity for color and materials such as resin, hematite and yellow crystal. The collection embodies the essence of the Rachel Rachel Roy brand and includes large statement pieces balanced with a feminine edge. The collection ranges in price from $34 to $195 and will be available at select Macy's and online at www.macys.com and www.rachelroy.com.  

Founder and artistic director Rachel Roy said, "Working with Estelle was a true collaboration. I love Estelle's sense of style because she takes risks and I think that to be a trendsetter you have to take as many risks as safe turns."

Estelle said, "What I love about Rachel is that her look is unpredictable.  One day she'll be in a cocktail dress and the next day she'll be in flats and a little jacket.  No matter what she's wearing, it always looks appropriate. Rachel has great style and I loved collaborating with her on this line."

The jewelry collaboration with Estelle is part of a series of limited edition capsule collections that merge fashion with culture, art, music, photography, and philanthropy to bring a unique element to the Rachel Rachel Roy brand. Watch the making of the collection on www.rachelroy.com.

In addition, Estelle is scheduled to be at Macy's Herald Square in New York City on April 1st for a special performance to support the collaboration.

The Rachel Rachel Roy collection features affordable contemporary sportswear, footwear, handbags and jewelry. The collection is available exclusively at select Macy's stores and online at macys.com/rachelroy and rachelroy.com. You can become a fan of Rachel Roy on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

About Jones Apparel Group

Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (www.jonesapparel.com) is a leading designer, marketer and wholesaler of branded apparel, footwear and accessories. The Company also markets directly to consumers through its chain of specialty retail and value-based stores and through its e-commerce web sites. The Company's nationally recognized brands include Jones New York, Nine West, Anne Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, Kasper, Bandolino, Easy Spirit, Evan-Picone, l.e.i., Energie, Enzo Angiolini, Joan & David, Mootsies Tootsies, Sam & Libby, Napier, Judith Jack, Albert Nipon and Le Suit. The Company also markets costume jewelry under the Givenchy brand licensed from Givenchy Corporation, women's footwear under the Dockers® and Dockers® Women brands and infants', toddlers' and boys' footwear (excluding girls' footwear) under the Dockers® and Dockers® Premium brands, licensed from Levi Strauss & Co., apparel and accessories under the Rachel Roy brand licensed from Rachel Roy IP Company, LLC, and Jessica Simpson jeanswear licensed from VCJS, LLC.  Each brand is differentiated by its own distinctive styling, pricing strategy, distribution channel and target consumer. The Company contracts for the manufacture of its products through a worldwide network of quality manufacturers. The Company has capitalized on its nationally known brand names by entering into various licenses for several of its trademarks, including Jones New York, Anne Klein New York, Nine West, Gloria Vanderbilt, l.e.i. and Evan-Picone, with select manufacturers of women's and men's products which the Company does not manufacture. For more than 30 years, the Company has built a reputation for excellence in product quality and value, and in operational execution.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  All statements regarding the Company's expected financial position, business and financing plans are forward-looking statements.  The words "believes," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements also include representations of the Company's expectations or beliefs concerning future events that involve risks and uncertainties, including:

• those associated with the effect of national, regional and international economic conditions;
• lowered levels of consumer spending resulting from a general economic downturn or lower levels of consumer confidence;
• the tightening of the credit markets and our ability to obtain credit on satisfactory terms;
• given the uncertain economic environment, the possible unwillingness of committed lenders to meet their obligations to lend to borrowers, in general;
• the performance of the Company's products within the prevailing retail environment;
• customer acceptance of both new designs and newly-introduced product lines;
• the Company's reliance on a few department store groups for large portions of the Company's business;
• the Company's ability to identify acquisition candidates and, in a competitive environment for such acquisitions, acquire such businesses on reasonable financial and other terms;
• the integration of the organizations and operations of any acquired businesses into the Company's existing organization and operations;
• consolidation of the Company's retail customers;
• financial difficulties encountered by the Company's customers;
• the effects of vigorous competition in the markets in which the Company operates;
• the Company's ability to attract and retain qualified executives and other key personnel;
• the Company's reliance on independent foreign manufacturers;
• changes in the costs of raw materials, labor, advertising and transportation;
• the general inability to obtain higher wholesale prices for the Company's products that the Company has experienced for many years;
• the uncertainties of sourcing associated with an environment in which general quota has expired on apparel products but litigation and political activity seeking to re-impose quotas have been initiated;
• the Company's ability to successfully implement new operational and financial computer systems; and
• the Company's ability to secure and protect trademarks and other intellectual property rights.

A further description of these risks and uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, including, but not limited to, the Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Disclosure and Item 1A-Risk Factors therein, and in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such expectations may prove to be incorrect.  The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Rachel Roy

Rachel Roy (www.rachelroy.com) approaches the design of her collections with a feminine and modern point of view. Her goal is to create clothing for women who embrace fashion and dress with an effortless elegance, confidence, and edge. The RACHEL ROY NEW YORK collection is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and top specialty stores worldwide. The RACHEL RACHEL ROY collection, the diffusion companion to the designer collection, launched in August 2009 and embodies uptown glamour with downtown edge in sportswear, footwear, handbags and jewelry. The collection is available exclusively at Macy's and macys.com. In 2007, Roy was inducted into the CFDA as a new member where she stands alongside other esteemed fashion industry individuals.

SOURCE Jones Apparel Group