COTY SIGNS DEAL WITH LVMH TO PRODUCE & SELL LICENSED FRAGRANCES.

(Full text of a statement. Contact details below.)

NEW YORK, May 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

Coty Inc. announced today that it has signed a contract to acquire the fragrances licenses of Kenneth Cole and Marc Jacobs, two leading American fashion designers. The American Designer Fragrances division of LVMH currently holds the licenses.

Exact details of the transaction have not been disclosed. Lancaster Group, the prestige division of Coty, will manage the Kenneth Cole and Marc Jacobs licenses.

Kenneth Cole Productions is a designer, marketer, wholesaler and retailer of branded apparel and accessories for the fashion-conscious professional.

The Company's nationally recognised brands include: Kenneth Cole New York, Reaction Kenneth Cole and Unlisted. Kenneth Cole is known not only for men's and women's accessories and sportswear collections but also for his socially conscious advertising campaigns. Kenneth Cole Productions currently owns and operates 80 retail stores across the country with worldwide distribution in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Currently, there are 17 licensees that cover 73 dual gender and multi-brand product categories. The first introduction into the fragrance arena was in September 2002 with the successful launches of Kenneth Cole New York Men and Women. September 2003 will mark the 20th anniversary of Kenneth Cole Productions.

Marc Jacobs is a designer with global influence. His designs and reputation for luxury, exquisite tailoring and a twist of the unexpected, has transformed the way a generation of young women dress. The Marc Jacobs label has long been associated with products of the highest quality and today includes clothing, leather goods and accessories for three lines; Marc Jacobs collection for women, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs Men. In 2001, Marc Jacobs introduced his first women's fragrance, the award winning Marc Jacobs Perfume, followed in 2002 by Marc Jacobs Men, which also won industry acclaim.