Tarrant Apparel Group Signs License Agreement With Beyonce and Tina Knowles' Clothing Line, House of Dereon

Tarrant Apparel Group Signs License Agreement With Beyonce and Tina Knowles' Clothing Line, House of Dereon

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tarrant Apparel Group (NASDAQ:TAGS), a leading provider of private label and private brand casual apparel, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Private Brands Inc., has signed an exclusive license agreement with Beyond Productions and Kids Headquarters to collaborate on the design, manufacturing and distribution of House of Dereon brand apparel, founded by Beyonce Knowles and her mother, Tina Knowles. The young contemporary women's line, which is expected to launch in time for holiday delivery at better specialty stores worldwide, will feature ready-to-wear, casual sportswear, and denim offerings.

Barry Aved, President and CEO of Tarrant Apparel Group, commented, "House of Dereon adds a very exciting new dimension to our growing portfolio of private brands, which includes American Rag, Cie, Alain Weitz large sizes, and Gear 7 brands. With the addition of the Knowles' family inspired apparel, our private brand strategy will reach another consumer through a new distribution channel. Beyonce will have an active role in supporting and marketing the brand and we look forward to working with her and her mother. We are confident that Beyonce's international popularity coupled with our strength in brand development will generate unique, fashion forward clothing for contemporary young women worldwide."

"Jason Rabin, Cory Silverstein, and I worked closely to conduct a very thorough search to find the company that not only would best represent our professional interests but also was a well-respected brand in the industry. We wanted a company that would share our vision and meet our expectations for the launch of House of Dereon. We feel that Tarrant Apparel Group really understands our creative inspiration and will handle efficiently the production and distribution of the line," Tina Knowles said.

Beyonce Knowles commented, "It is such a rewarding feeling to be part of something that both my mother and I really believe in. I hope that everybody loves the clothing as much as we do; we have really put our hearts into developing these fashions."

Tarrant Apparel Group serves specialty retailers, mass merchants, national department stores, and branded wholesalers by designing, merchandising, contracting for the manufacture of, and selling casual and well-priced apparel for women, men, and children.

Beyond Productions, LLC was founded in May 2004 by Tina and Beyonce Knowles, Jason and Arthur Rabin and Cory Silverstein of Wear Me Apparel/Kids Headquarters. The partnership will provide the infrastructure for licensing and brand management to House of Dereon. This collaboration was orchestrated by Tina and Beyonce Knowles who wanted to bring trend-setting style and a creative take on fashion to stylish women everywhere. The design alliance features three co-creative directors, Beyonce and Tina Knowles, and Heather Thomson Schindler.

Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this release are forward-looking and made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are inherently unreliable and actual results may differ materially. Examples of forward looking statements in this news release include the anticipated consummation of the financing transaction in December of 2004 and the Company's intended use of the proceeds from the financing transaction. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include satisfaction of conditions to closing of the financing transaction, including conditions that are outside of the parties' control such as approval of the transaction by the Company's senior secured lenders, and unexpected liabilities or obligations which become due. There can be no assurance that these conditions will be satisfied, that the sale transaction will be consummated or that the Company will use the proceeds from the financing transaction as anticipated. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


Source: Tarrant Apparel Group

CONTACT: Investor Relations for Tarrant Apparel Group, Melissa Myron or
Lila Sharifian, +1-212-850-5600; Hampton Carney, hcarney@greatpress.com, or
Dara Cooley,dcooley@greatpress.com, both of Paul Wilmot Communications for
House of Dereon, +1-212-206-7447


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