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Oscar de la Renta, Ltd. to Launch O Oscar Women's Sportswear Line in Licensing Agreement with Kellwood Company

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

NEW YORK, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Oscar de la Renta, Ltd. and Kellwood Company (NYSE: KWD) announced today that they have signed a license agreement to design and market O Oscar, a moderate women's sportswear line. The new label will launch this fall, and will also include accessories, swim and intimate apparel at a later date.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20011220/CGTH038LOGO )

Oscar de la Renta, Chairman, Founder and CEO of Oscar de la Renta, Ltd., commented, "Creating this new brand fulfills a long time dream of mine. We have designed beautiful clothes that will be accessible to a great number of people due to price point and broad distribution strategy. The clothes will combine tremendous fashion with a moderate price to offer great value to our customer. To me, it doesn't get better than this."

Hal J. Upbin, Kellwood Chairman and CEO, added, "Part of our heritage is our ability to develop premier fashion collections at a price that allow the aspirational consumer to experience style and extraordinary quality she can truly afford. Both retailers and consumers will appreciate the fine designer touches incorporated in the O Oscar line."

O Oscar is the only designer label of its kind available in the moderate tier. The line will be distributed initially in over 600 department stores nationally, with first shipments in August 2004.

Oscar de la Renta, Ltd. is one of the leading women's ready-to-wear design companies in the world. The company also creates, markets and manufactures women's ready-to-wear apparel, accessories, fragrances, menswear, home furnishings, and casual wear.

Kellwood (NYSE: KWD) is a $2.4 billion marketer of apparel and consumer soft goods. Kellwood specializes in branded as well private label products, and markets to all channels of distribution with product specific to a particular channel. Kellwood brands include Phat Farm(R), Baby Phat(R), Sag Harbor(R), Koret(R), Jax(R), David Dart(R), Democracy(R), David Meister(TM), Dorby(TM), My Michelle(R), Briggs New York(R), Northern Isles(R), David Brooks(R), Kelty(R), and Sierra Designs(R). Calvin Klein(R), XOXO(R), IZOD(R), Dockers(R), Liz Claiborne(R) Dresses and Suits, Gerber(R), Slates(R) and Bill Burns(R) are produced under licensing agreements. For more information, visit www.kellwood.com .

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws. Actual results may differ materially due to risks and uncertainties that are described in the Company's Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

SOURCE Oscar de la Renta, Ltd.

CONTACT: Alexandra Hamilton, Vice President Public Relations of Oscar de la Renta, Ltd., +1-212-354-6777, or Donna Weaver, Vice President Corp. Comm. of Kellwood Company, +1-212-575-7467