Jessica Simpson Announces Expansion Of Maternity Collection With Destination Maternity

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Jessica Simpson, who recently announced she is expecting her second child, will expand the Jessica Simpson Maternity collection with partner Destination Maternity Corporation (Nasdaq: DEST) to over 800 doors by early Spring 2013. The collection is currently available at approximately 350 points of distribution including select Destination Maternity®, Motherhood® Maternity, and Macy's® stores.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130114/PH41618 )

"I am so thrilled this collection is growing and I am able to give even more women access to comfortable, fashionable and affordable maternity wear," Simpson said. "We have designed a collection that is every-day chic, from bright jersey knit dresses to dressed-up denim.  I'm looking forward to wearing my favorite pieces during this pregnancy."

Simpson launched the Jessica Simpson® Maternity collection in the Fall of 2012 through an exclusive licensing agreement between Camuto Group, the master licensee behind the Jessica Simpson® Collection, and Destination Maternity, the world's leading maternity apparel retailer. Spring 2013 is the third delivery for the maternity collection.

"Jessica resonates with women everywhere and the response to her maternity collection has only reaffirmed this connection," said Chris Daniel, President of Destination Maternity Corporation.  "We look forward to the continued growth of our collaboration with Jessica and the Camuto Group, and to being able to offer our customers a well-rounded collection of maternity pieces from a designer they love."

The Spring 2013 Jessica Simpson® Maternity collection has a soft and romantic theme. Flowing tops paired with skinny bottoms return as the signature look of the collection and are freshened up for the season with lace details, light airy fabrics, elegant florals and accents of neon for an aesthetic that is classic, superbly feminine and cool. The pieces range in price from $19 to $69.

About the Jessica Simpson® Collection The Jessica Simpson® Collection is inspired by and designed in collaboration with Jessica Simpson, entertainment, music and style icon.  This lifestyle collection reflects all that is modern Americana: it is iconic, fashion-forward, accessible, comfortable, timeless and affordable.  The product offering spans 28 classifications –including footwear, outerwear, sunglasses, optical frames, handbags and handbag accessories, swimwear, perfume, belts, legwear, scarves/hats/wraps, jewelry, intimates, slippers, cold weather accessories, luggage, dresses, jeanswear, sportswear, fine diamond jewelry, tween footwear, coats, swimwear, legwear and apparel, maternity apparel, toddler apparel and baby footwear.  The collection, like Jessica herself, is classically familiar, approachable yet inspirational, sexy yet sweet, flirtatious and whimsical, vintage at times, but always of-the-moment.  The Jessica Simpson® Collection is currently available in over 2,500 points of distribution globally.

About Camuto Group The Camuto Group is a leading organization for design, development and distribution of women's fashion footwear and is renowned for its ability to build women's lifestyle brands on a global scale.  Camuto Group products are sold in over 5400 doors worldwide.  The Camuto Group is the owner of the Vince Camuto® and Arturo Chiang® brands and is the master licensee for the Jessica Simpson® Collection.  The company also develops and manages several exclusive brands for Dillard's, and holds the footwear license for BCBGeneration®, BCBG Max Azria®, and Lucky Brand®. The company's portfolio also includes the design and sourcing of footwear for Tory Burch® as well as a partnership with the apparel lifestyle brand Sanctuary Clothing®.

About Destination Maternity Corporation Destination Maternity Corporation is the world's largest designer and retailer of maternity apparel.  In the United States and Canada, as of December 31, 2012, Destination Maternity operates 1,887 retail locations, including 621 stores, predominantly under the tradenames Motherhood Maternity®, A Pea in the Pod®, and Destination Maternity®, and 1,266 leased department locations, and sells on the web through its DestinationMaternity.com and brand-specific websites.  Destination Maternity also distributes its Oh Baby by Motherhood® collection through a licensed arrangement at over 1,100 Kohl's® stores throughout the United States and on Kohls.com.  In addition, Destination Maternity is expanding internationally and has exclusive store franchise and product supply relationships in India, the Middle East and South Korea.  As of December 31, 2012, Destination Maternity has 137 international franchised locations, including 121 shop-in-shop locations and 16 Destination Maternity branded stores.

Destination Maternity Corporation (the "Company") cautions that any forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) contained in this press release or made from time to time by management of the Company, including those regarding product offerings and various business initiatives, involve risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various important factors.  The following factors, among others, in some cases have affected and in the future could affect the Company's financial performance and actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any such forward-looking statements: the continuation of the economic recovery of the retail industry in general and of apparel purchases in particular, our ability to successfully manage our various business initiatives, the success of our international business and its expansion, our ability to successfully manage and retain our leased department and licensed relationships and marketing partnerships, future sales trends in our existing store base and through the Internet, unusual weather patterns, changes in consumer spending patterns, raw material price increases, overall economic conditions and other factors affecting consumer confidence, demographics and other macroeconomic factors that may impact the level of spending for maternity apparel,  expense savings initiatives, our ability to anticipate and respond to fashion trends and consumer preferences, unanticipated fluctuations in our operating results, the impact of competition and fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials and contracted products, availability of suitable store locations, continued availability of capital and financing, our ability to hire and develop senior management and sales associates, our ability to develop and source merchandise, our ability to receive production from foreign sources on a timely basis, potential stock repurchases, the continuation of the regular quarterly cash dividend, the trading liquidity of our common stock, changes in market interest rates, war or acts of terrorism and other factors set forth in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or in materials incorporated therein by reference.

SOURCE Destination Maternity Corporation