The Dessy Group Partners with Cynthia Rowley for Her First Bridesmaid Dress Collection

Cynthia Rowley Bridesmaids Brings a Designer Sensibility From the Runway to the Aisle

March 9, 2010, NEW YORK (BUSINESS WIRE) - The Dessy Group, a leading manufacturer of bridesmaid dresses and bridal apparel, today announced a partnership with top American fashion designer Cynthia Rowley to produce Cynthia Rowley Bridesmaids, an exclusive collection of designer bridesmaid dresses.

Inspired by Rowley's runway line, Cynthia Rowley Bridesmaids dresses are designed for both day and evening weddings, and can be worn long after the reception. Design elements taken directly from Rowley's eponymous ready-to-wear collection include tulle skirts and drop-waist silhouettes. "We wanted to bring a chic sensibility to bridesmaid dresses – a look that is pretty yet sophisticated," said Cynthia Rowley.

The line consists of floor and tea length dresses in fabrics including duchess satin, cotton sateen and tulle. "Rowley's modern silhouettes and rich fabrics are complemented by our signature array of color choices, and are sure to be a centerpiece to any wedding celebration," said Alan Dessy, chief executive officer of The Dessy Group.

Wedding Color Coordination – From Inspiration to "I Do"

To make wedding color selection and coordination even easier, the Dessy Web site features a special section dedicated to PANTONE WEDDING™, a collection of tools including the PANTONE WEDDING color guide, perfectly matched paper swatch cards and online Style Boards, to help brides select accompanying apparel for their attendants.

The PANTONE WEDDING Color Guide includes over 190 colors that provide inspiration for brides to develop unique color themes and express their creative vision for that all-important day. Small enough to fit inside a purse, the guide can be carried on shopping trips to eliminate color guesswork and aid in color coordination.

Brides can also create interactive Style Boards to help them choose their wedding colors and accompanying bridal apparel. To create the perfect Style Board, brides can browse over 190 PANTONE WEDDING Colors, select from all Dessy bridal apparel and accessories or import wedding and inspirational images from the Web. Brides will be able to create Style Boards featuring the Cynthia Rowley Bridesmaids collection beginning in late spring 2010.

Once a Style Board is created, it can be saved for later viewing and editing. Brides can also send completed Style Boards to others via email and can publish their Style Board to wedding Web sites and blogs. Each Dessy product in a saved Style Board links to the product details page so that brides and attendants can easily find and purchase items.

Pricing and Availability

The Cynthia Rowley Bridesmaids collection will be available in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia beginning in May and will be priced from U.S. $175 to $220.

The PANTONE WEDDING color guide is available for U.S. $35, and the individual paper swatch cards in all 194 colors are available for U.S. $10. Individual fabric swatches are available in 6-by-6 inch swatches or by the ½ yard and range in price from U.S. $15 to $40. All products are available at dessy.com.

About The Dessy Group

The Dessy Group is a leading manufacturer of bridesmaid dresses, social occasion dresses, flower girl dresses and destination wedding gowns under the labels Dessy Collection, Cynthia Rowley Bridesmaids, After Six, Alfred Sung, Lela Rose Bridesmaid and Sandals Destination Wedding Dresses.

Founded in 1939 by Margot Rosenthal, A & M Rosenthal, now The Dessy Group, got its start designing bridal veils and attendants headpieces. In the 1950's, Margot's daughter Ronnie and her husband Andrew took over the business and added bridesmaid dresses to the Dessy line. Today, the business continues to thrive under the leadership of Alan Dessy and design direction of Vivian Dessy Diamond.

About Cynthia Rowley

Cynthia Rowley was seven when she constructed her first dress, and as a senior at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she sold her first collection of eight pieces to a number of New York's most prominent stores.

Over the years, the Cynthia Rowley Collection has grown beyond women's wear to include accessories, beauty, baby, bicycles, active-wear, home sewing patterns, tools and now, bridesmaids dresses. The Collection is sold in better department, specialty and online stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Scoop and ShopBop.com, as well as in approximately 60 Cynthia Rowley shops around the world.