Estee Lauder Forms Alliance With World-Renowned Fashion Designer Tom Ford Multi-Year Deal Will Create TOM FORD Beauty Business NEW YORK, April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Estee Lauder brand today announced a first-of-its-kind creative collaboration with world-renowned fashion designer Tom Ford. The alliance represents Mr. Ford's first announcement as a result of the formation of his new company, TOM FORD, and is the first major business initiative from newly-appointed Estee Lauder Global Brand President John Demsey. The alliance with Mr. Ford marks the first time that the Estee Lauder brand itself has partnered with an outside fashion designer. The collaboration is a multi-year deal involving two phases. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. For the first phase, Mr. Ford will collaborate with the Estee Lauder brand in the creation of a TOM FORD for ESTEE LAUDER line to be sold at Estee Lauder counters. In this capacity, he will design a limited range of products in time for the Holiday 2005 season for specialty distribution, followed by a more extensive collection for Spring 2006 for broader distribution. This approach allows the Estee Lauder brand to incorporate Mr. Ford's design point of view into the brand quickly, and capitalize on the style and luxury trends that drive consumer purchases during the holidays. For the second phase, Mr. Ford will launch a separate, stand-alone TOM FORD beauty brand to create and market fragrance and other related products. The TOM FORD branded products will begin launching in Fall 2006. "We are thrilled to welcome Tom Ford to the Estee Lauder family," said Mr. Demsey. "Tom Ford is a fashion industry icon in the same way that Estee Lauder is a beauty industry icon. It's a perfect match of luxury, style and beauty which we are confident will resonate with consumers around the world." Tom Ford is among the most highly respected and successful designers of the last decade. Mr. Ford is widely credited for reviving both Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent through influential collections and provocative ad campaigns that pushed the fashion envelope. Tom Ford joined Gucci in 1990 as womenswear designer and in 1994 was named Creative Director. During 10 years as Creative Director at Gucci and Gucci Group, sales increased from $230 million in 1994 to almost $3 billion in 2004, making Gucci one of the largest and most profitable luxury brands in the world. Tom Ford has won numerous design awards including four from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and five VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards. "Estee Lauder has always partnered with the best talents of every generation," said Aerin Lauder, Senior Vice President, Global Creative Directions, Estee Lauder. "Tom Ford is a true visionary who instinctively knows what consumers want and how to communicate a strong, style-driven image. I'm excited to work closely with him to bring his viewpoint into the world of beauty, and the world of Estee Lauder." "I could not be happier," said Tom Ford, President and Chief Executive Officer of the newly-created TOM FORD company, the formation of which was announced separately today by Mr. Ford. "I am delighted to be working with Aerin and John on the creation of the TOM FORD beauty brand. This has been a long time plan of mine and I am very excited to have Estee Lauder, the world's expert in the field of beauty and prestige fragrance, as my partner." Estee Lauder is a division of The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The Company's products are sold in over 130 countries and territories under well-recognized brand names including Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Origins, M.A.C, Bobbi Brown, Tommy Hilfiger, La Mer, Donna Karan, Aveda, Stila, Jo Malone, Bumble and bumble, kate spade beauty, Darphin, Michael Kors, Rodan + Fields, American Beauty, Flirt! and Good Skin(TM) and Donald Trump The Fragrance. DATASOURCE: Estee Lauder CONTACT: General Inquiries - Colleen McCarthy of Ketchum Public Relations, +1-646-935-4366, ; or Estee Lauder Inquiries - North America: Melissa McCarthy, +1-212-572-4435, , or International: Geri Schachner, +1-212-572-4453, ; or Tom Ford Inquiries - Lisa Schiek, +1-212-725-4771, F: +1-212-725-0206 Web site: http://www.elcompanies.com/

Copyright