USA Network, Debra Messing, Designer Lauren Merkin and Renowned Illustrator Sujean Rim Join Forces to Create Signature Handbag and T-Shirt for ‘The Starter Wife’

In A Network First, USA Extends Show Brand Via Fashion Partnerships To Broaden Appeal

NEW YORK, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ — USA Network has teamed up with
celebrated handbag designer Lauren Merkin and Emmy Award-winning actress
Debra Messing, star of the hit series THE STARTER WIFE, to create the
custom “Molly” handbag, a chic clutch named in honor of the equally chic
character who inspired it, THE STARTER WIFE’s Molly Kagan. USA has also
enlisted renowned illustrator Sujean Rim to create an original work
inspired by the series and its spirited and fashionable heroine, Molly
Kagan. In a nod to Molly’s glamorous Hollywood lifestyle, energy and elan,
the one-of-its-kind design will be featured on a signature t-shirt made
exclusively for THE STARTER WIFE. Messing stars as the newly single and
ever so stylish Molly Kagan in the Emmy Award-winning series THE STARTER
WIFE, which premieres on Friday, October 10 at 9/8c on USA Network. The
announcement was made by USA’s Alexandra Shapiro, senior vice president,
brand marketing & digital.

“For USA, these unique partnerships demonstrate a fresh approach to
extending THE STARTER WIFE brand into the fashion arena while providing
fashion-conscious consumers the opportunity to tangibly connect with
Molly’s stylish sensibility,” said Shapiro.

Messing, no stranger to Best Dressed lists, actively shared her
renowned fashion savvy during the design process of the handbag with
designer Lauren Merkin. “As an artist, it’s been both rewarding and fun to
team with Lauren Merkin and USA in designing the “Molly” clutch,” said
Debra Messing, star and executive producer of THE STARTER WIFE. “It’s more
than just a fun fashion item, it’s an extension of Molly’s feisty
character,” she added.

THE “MOLLY” CLUTCH

The “Molly” will make its television debut on the season finale of THE
STARTER WIFE, when it will appear on the arm of Molly (Messing) herself.
The clutch will be offered as part of a national Text-To-Win Sweepstakes
following the season finale and as a promotional giveaway via print and
digital outlets. Fans of Lauren Merkin and THE STARTER WIFE will also be
able to purchase their own signature “Molly” clutch exclusively at
laurenmerkin.com beginning the first week of October. The “Molly,” a clutch
made of amethyst baby croc patent with satin side details, will have a
retail price of $295 and will be available in several fabrications.

Lauren Merkin is a name familiar to celebrities, stylists, fashionistas
and countless savvy shoppers. Those in-the-know when it comes to fashion
have been turning to Merkin for her hip, elegant and affordable handbags
for years; her popular clutches have appeared numerous times on the pages
of fashion magazines such as InStyle, Lucky, and Harper’s Bazaar, as well
as in the hands of dozens of stylish stars, including Reese Witherspoon,
Eva Longoria, Heidi Klum and Liv Tyler. Now the “Molly” is poised to join
“Eve”, “Lucy,” “Lola,” and the many other designs (all bearing the names of
women) that make up Merkin’s collection of refined, feminine and fun modern
classics. Lauren Merkin’s collection is available at Neiman Marcus,
Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Scoop, Searle,
shopbop.com and various independently owned retailers across the county.

THE SIGNATURE “STARTER WIFE” T-SHIRT

The signature STARTER WIFE long sleeved t-shirt featuring Sujean’s
original design will be available for purchase at the NBC Experience store
and online at starterwife.usanetwork.com the first week of October. It will
also be offered as a promotional giveaway on-air and online and in select
print publications. The shirt has already made its way into the hands of
many of fashion’s elite during last week’s New York fashion shows; over
3,000 shirts were distributed in the official Mercedes Benz Fashion Week
gift bags, as well as in those given away by OK! Magazine and US Weekly.

The partnership between USA Network and Sujean Rim around THE STARTER
WIFE was a natural one, as both the series and Sujean’s work share a
similar stylish sensibility. Sujean began her career designing shoes and
accessories before leaving the fashion industry to pursue illustration
fulltime. Since then, she has become well known in the fashion world and
around the globe for her signature watercolor designs, which have been
commissioned by a wide variety of companies from Tiffany & Co., to Target.
Her work is perhaps most familiar to the 2.6 million subscribers of
DailyCandy.com, the insider’s guide to all things hip, new and stylish, for
whom Sujean has created a signature look with her singular, fashion-savvy
illustrations.

USA NETWORK is cable television’s leading provider of original series
and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television
shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. The #1 network in basic cable, USA
Network is seen in nearly 94 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site
is located at http://www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of
NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies
in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and
information to a global audience.

Source: USA Network