DKNY JEANS & Paul Pope Launch 2089 Collection

Legendary graphic artist Paul Pope and DKNY JEANS team up for an exciting
collaboration

NEW YORK, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- DKNY Jeans announces today a new
collection co-designed by famed graphic novelist Paul Pope called 2089. The
line fuses the world of comics and fashion by creating a cohesive narrative
which emerges through prints and graphics on clothing to create a truly unique
application of this art form.
The scene is New York City, circa 2089, 100 years from the date of DKNY's
creation. The story, like much of Pope's influential work, sets a futuristic
love story against the collision of nature and industry. The prints are
updated camouflage, and the graphics on tees, jackets and hoodies melds sci-fi
with the prehistoric.
DKNY Jeans president Kevin Monogue says, "Working with an exciting artist
like Paul on something so unique to the market keeps DKNY Jeans connected to
our consumer's interests and also allows us to offer him innovative products
and ideas. Identifying two mediums that have similar aesthetics and
developing ways to meld them is part of the DNA of the DKNY Jeans brand. We
are really excited about 2089."
Paul Pope is equally enthused, "I see this line as a way of stealing Pop
back from Warhol. We've seen comics endlessly pillaged in the high art world
and adapted to film, for better or worse. We've seen comics images quoted in
fashion and copied in street art. Comics has a cultural currency all its own.
But this is maybe the first time an actual cartoonist has been given the
chance to launch his own brand, to build it from concept on up, to do it
within the bounds of an established label such as DKNY Jeans. "
The 15 piece collection is comprised of jackets, hoodies, pants and tee
shirts, which tell different segments of the story. The graphics on the
pieces vary from all over prints to one statement piece, to a new take on
camouflage. The line retails from $32 for tees, to $145 for a military
jacket. They will be sold in Department stores across the country beginning
September 2008.
About DKNY JEANS:
DKNY Jeans is a lifestyle denim brand which is owned and distributed
through a licensed agreement with Liz Claiborne, LLC. DKNY Jeans designs and
markets collections for men's, women's and juniors apparel and is available in
the US, Canada and South America via wholesale channels.
About Paul Pope:
It's been said if comics were a rock band, Paul Pope -- complete with
pouty lips, pipe-cleaner legs, and shaggy Jagger haircut -- would be its front
man.
A popular American artist, Pope began working for Kodansha, Japan's
biggest and best-known manga publisher, in 1995. He is currently the only
American artist to have worked in Japan's manga industry over 5 years. Pope's
latest graphic novel, a dynamic re-invention of the Dark Knight, Batman Year
100 (DC Comics), won Best Limited Series, and Pope himself was voted Best
Writer/Artist at the 2007 Eisner Awards (the comics industry's equivalent of
the Oscars).
Pope's first major monograph, PULPHOPE, debuted this summer to steady
sales and has been hailed by fans and critics alike.
Aside from comics, Pope has also worked briefly in film (2008's now-in-
hiatus The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, from Paramount Pictures).
In line with the rock'n'roll spirit, he has designed various tour posters
and/or album art for bands including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jon Spencer Blues
Explosion, White Stripes, Heavy Trash and The Tea Party. Pope has done a
number of silkscreen prints, window designs, and store installations for
retailers and fashion brands all over the world.
The 2089 line with DKNY JEANS is Pope's most ambitious foray into fashion
design and the first project of its kind.
SOURCE DKNY Jeans

Kristin Kavanagh, Director of Public Relations of DKNY JEANS, +1-212-626-3902,
Kristin_kavanagh@liz.com; Jeff Newelt for Paul Pope, +1-917-450-7013,
jahfurry@gmail.com