Jones Apparel Group Brings Leading Talent to Its Handbag Business

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Jones Apparel Group, Inc. ("Jones," the "Company") (NYSE: JNY) today announced that it has enhanced its talent within its handbag business with the addition of Dina Battipaglia as Group President and Rafe Totengco as Creative Director, both effective immediately. Ms. Battipaglia and Mr. Totengco will focus on building a cohesive handbag strategy for all of Jones' brands through established business leadership and product design.  Ms. Battipaglia will report to Andy Cohen, Chief Executive Officer of Footwear Accessories and Retail for Jones, and Mr. Totengco will report to Battipaglia.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dina and Rafe to the Jones family of talent," said Richard Dickson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Branded Businesses at Jones Apparel Group.  "An important element of our mission is to nurture and attract design and merchant talent to help drive our multi-category multi-branded business.  Dina's proven merchant savvy and Rafe's gift for world class design, combined with Jones' resources and brands will take our handbag business to new heights."

As Group President for Handbags, Ms. Battipaglia will oversee the day-to-day operations of handbags and drive the handbag business across all brands, from product development to sales.  Ms. Battipaglia brings over 20 years of success as a merchant in the accessories industry to the Company.  Most recently, Ms. Battipaglia was at Henri Bendel, overseeing the building and development of the Henri Bendel signature brand.  Previously, Ms. Battapalia was a senior executive at Liz Claiborne, where she was Interim President of kate spade and President of LCI Accessories, whose brands include Juicy Couture, Lucky Brand and Monet.  While President of LCI, Ms. Battipaglia was responsible for delivering $370 million in revenue.  

In the newly created role of Creative Director for Handbags, Mr. Totengco will work with others across the Company to create a compelling product vision for Jones' handbag brands.  His responsibilities will include creating products for the retail, wholesale and international divisions, with an initial focus on the Nine West and Vintage America products.  Mr. Totengco is well-known among the design community and consumers for his namesake handbag collection, "Rafe New York®," that was launched in 1997 and today is sold in a wide range of high-end retail locations internationally.  He brings a skilled balance of style and function to all of his products and has the ability to blend sophistication and trend with the highest quality of material.  Mr. Totengco has been a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) since 1998 and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors since that time, including the "Best Accessories Designer" (ACE) award from the Accessories Council and the "Rising Star" award from Fashion Group International.

About Jones Apparel Group, Inc.

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, Stuart Weitzman, Robert Rodriguez, 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 35 years, the Company has built a reputation for excellence in product quality and value, and in operational execution.

SOURCE Jones Apparel Group, Inc.