With the opening of the flagship Via Spiga store in Manhattan's Soho
neighborhood, Brown Shoe Company, Inc. (NYSE: BWS) (http://www.brownshoe.com)
brings to life one of Milan's most exclusive and sophisticated fashion
districts in one of New York's premiere shopping destinations.
The Via Spiga Soho store, now open at 487 Broadway, is designed to
immerse consumers in the brand's namesake Via della Spiga, a
boutique-filled avenue in Milan that attracts those who desire to stroll
and shop, see and be seen. The women's footwear collection, including
some styles that are exclusive to the Soho store, intermingles with Via
Spiga handbags, coats, belts, eyewear and men's footwear to tell a
branded style story.
"Opening the Via Spiga Soho store enables us to bring the brand to life
for consumers with a visual representation of our rich Italian heritage.
We created a shopping environment steeped in the spirit of modern
Italian design, and showcase within it multiple categories of Via Spiga
accessories for a complete brand experience. The Soho neighborhood
provides an ideal backdrop, as it attracts people from all over the
world seeking fashion," said President-Brown Shoe New York Wholesale
Rick Ausick.
Shoppers are visually transported to Via della Spiga as they step onto
cool stone tiles evocative of the famed avenue's cobblestones, and take
in the oversized image of the store's namesake street that spans the
rear wall. Shoes, handbags and belts are showcased in shop window-style
displays that call to mind a row of exquisite boutiques, surrounding a
working fountain at the store's center.
Via Spiga's Soho store will offer the Vena Cava for Via Spiga spring 09
footwear collection, a collaboration with fashion designers Lisa Mayock
and Sophie Buhai of Vena Cava. The shoes debuted at Vena Cava's spring
2009 runway presentation during New York Fashion Week in September, and
will be available for purchase in limited quantities at the Soho store
beginning in February. Consumers will also find the Vena Cava for Via
Spiga collection in February at ViaSpiga.com, the brand's new e-commerce
site. Mayock and Buhai will be special guests at the Via Spiga Soho
store opening celebration on November 19.
ABOUT VENA CAVA
Brooklyn-based designers Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai have been
designing together since their graduation from Parsons School of Design
in the Spring of 2003. Their inspirations come from their own vintage
collections, found objects, and art history. The classic silhouettes
reflect a timeless design that appears to a mentality rather than an
age. Unique, hand drawn prints are Vena Cava's signature. Through their
five years in business, Vena Cava has been awarded many honors and
accolades, including: Ecco Domani Emerging Designer Award (2006), UPS
Young Designer Award (2006), and nomination for the Vogue/CFDA Fashion
Fund Award (2007 and 2008). For more information on Vena Cava, please go
to: http://www.venacavanyc.com/.
ABOUT BROWN SHOE COMPANY, INC.
Brown Shoe is a $2.4 billion footwear company with global operations.
Brown Shoe's Retail division operates Famous Footwear, the over
1,100-store chain that sells brand name shoes for the family,
approximately 300 specialty retail stores in the U.S., Canada, and China
under the Naturalizer, Brown Shoe Closet, FX LaSalle, and Franco Sarto
names, and Shoes.com, the Company's e-commerce subsidiary. Brown Shoe,
through its Wholesale divisions, owns and markets leading footwear
brands including Naturalizer, LifeStride, Via Spiga, Nickels Soft,
Connie and Buster Brown; it also markets licensed brands including
Franco Sarto, Dr. Scholl's, Etienne Aigner, Carlos by Carlos Santana,
Hot Kiss, Fergie branded footwear, and Vera Wang Lavender Label
Collection as well as Barbie, Disney and Nickelodeon character footwear
for children. Brown Shoe press releases are available on the Company's
website at http://www.brownshoe.com.
Web site: http://www.brownshoe.com
http://www.venacavanyc.com
