Perry Ellis International and West Mill Clothes Renew Perry Ellis Formal Wear Agreement, Add Perry Ellis America; Agreement Continues Six Year Old Partnership

Business Wire, Jan 23, 2001

Business Editors

MIAMI & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 23, 2001

Perry Ellis International, Inc. (Nasdaq:PERY) and West Mill Clothes, Inc. today announced the renewal of their long-standing agreement for the licensing of Perry Ellis formal wear, including tuxedos, accessories and formal shoes, in the United States and Canada. In addition to Perry Ellis and Perry Ellis Portfolio the new agreement further grants West Mill Clothes the U.S and Canada formal wear license for the newly powerful Perry Ellis America brand.

The agreement puts and end to industry rumors that had PEI granting the license to a third party. "Nothing could be further from the truth" said Allan Zwerner, President of Licensing for Perry Ellis International, "West Mill Clothes has done a great job in establishing Perry Ellis as a leader in the Formal Wear market, our relationship is a perfect example of what can be achieved when Licensee and Licensor work in tandem to achieve ambitious objectives. We look forward to maintaining this wonderfully successful partnership".

Ed Kaminow, President and C.E.O. of West Mill added: "The name Perry Ellis is golden in the Formal Wear Industry. We welcome the chance to continue to work with our friends at PEI in the development of this important brand. We are very excited about charting a new course for the industry with the Perry Ellis America brand which will allow us to address a different lifestyle and demographic".

About Perry Ellis International

Perry Ellis International markets men's, women's and children's products in over 40 different categories under the Perry Ellis(R), Perry Ellis Portfolio(R) and Perry Ellis America(R) trademarks. Perry Ellis products are available in the United States and in more than 26 countries with worldwide retail sales of over $1 Billion. Supreme International, a division of PEI manufactures, markets and distributes other trademarks both domestically and internationally including, Munsingwear(R), John Henry(R), Manhattan(R), and Ping Collection(R) among others. Additional information on PEI is available at www.perryellis.com.

About West Mill Clothes Inc.

West Mill Clothes d.b.a. Lord West Formalwear, incorporated in 1946, is the oldest and most prestigious formalwear company in the world. Located in Queens, New York, Lord West employs over 200 full-time employees in a combined headquarters-manufacturing/marketing operation. Lord West also operates a marketing and sourcing company in Bristol, Pennsylvania for accessories, shirts and shoes.

Lord West caters to the finest men's retail stores and department stores as well as all of the leading formal wear specialists throughout the country. Accounts look to Lord West to lead the industry in design, innovation, value, quality and integrity.

Lord West also markets formal wear and formal accessories under the Chaps by Ralph Lauren label and Claiborne and Claiborne 2.0 labels.

Lord West's goal is to lead and dominate the formal wear industry through unparalleled design and innovation. Lord West is committed to superior customer satisfaction, exceptional quality in products and services and the professional development of our employees as the foundation for a strong, secure and profitable company.

Forward-looking statements (statements which are not historical facts) in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The actual results of PEI could differ materially from those expressed or indicated by forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, changes in fashion trends, risks relating to the retail industry, use of contract manufacturing and foreign sourcing, import restrictions, competition, seasonality and other factors. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.