NEW YORK, June 27, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Barneys New York ("Barneys"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (NYSE: JNY), announced today the scheduled opening of a Barneys New York flagship store at 48 Stockton Street in the Union Square section of San Francisco. The approximately 60,000-square-foot location is scheduled to open in Fall 2007 and represents the fourth new flagship announced by the Company.

Howard Socol, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Barneys, stated, "This is truly a very special announcement for our Company. Opening a San Francisco flagship has been an objective of our Company ever since Barneys first commenced its expansion outside of New York several years ago. We are thrilled to be able to make that dream a reality in a location in the heart of Union Square."

Mr. Socol continued, "As in the case of our other new flagships, customers visiting the San Francisco location can expect to find an assortment of men's and women's apparel, accessories, shoes and cosmetics reflective of what is carried in our existing flagships in New York, Beverly Hills, Chicago and Boston. The building is an historic structure, originally built in 1909 for the Newman and Levinson Department Store. Our goal in designing it as a Barneys space is to restore much of what was originally on the facade of the building while supplying additional vertical transportation, including ornamental staircases from floor to floor. Barneys' mantra of "Taste, Luxury and Humor" will be communicated through the store's interior design and visual display."

Barneys opened a new flagship in Copley Place in Boston in March of this year which will be followed by the opening of a flagship in NorthPark Center in Dallas this September. As previously announced, another flagship is scheduled to open in Fall 2007 as part of the expansion of the Venetian Resort Hotel complex in Las Vegas. Mr. Socol added, "We remain focused on continued expansion of both our flagship and CO-OP concepts to further enhance the value of the Barneys brand."

Barneys New York, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jones Apparel Group, Inc., is a luxury retailer with flagship stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Chicago and Boston. Barneys also operates three regional full-price stores, ten CO-OP Barneys New York stores, twelve outlet stores and two semi-annual warehouse sale events.

Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (http://www.jny.com), a Fortune 500 company, is a leading designer, marketer and wholesaler of branded apparel, footwear and accessories. The Company also markets directly to consumers through our chain of specialty retail and value-based stores, and operates the Barneys New York chain of luxury stores. The Company's nationally recognized brands include Jones New York, Evan-Picone, Norton McNaughton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Erika, l.e.i., Energie, Nine West, Easy Spirit, Enzo Angiolini, Bandolino, Joan & David, Mootsies Tootsies, Sam & Libby, Napier, Judith Jack, Kasper, Anne Klein, Albert Nipon, Le Suit and Barneys New York. The Company also markets costume jewelry under the Givenchy brand licensed from Givenchy Corporation and footwear under the Dockers Women brand licensed from Levi Strauss & Co. Each brand is differentiated by its own distinctive styling, pricing strategy, distribution channel and target consumer. The Company primarily contracts for the manufacture of its products through a worldwide network of quality manufacturers. The Company has capitalized on its nationally known brand names by entering into various licenses for several of its trademarks, including Jones New York, Evan-Picone, Anne Klein New York, Nine West, Gloria Vanderbilt and l.e.i., with select manufacturers of women's and men's products which the Company does not manufacture. For more than 30 years, the Company has built a reputation for excellence in product quality and value, and in operational execution.

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements regarding the Company's expected financial position, business and financing plans are forward-looking statements. The words "believes," "expect," "plans," "intends," "anticipates" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also include representations of the Company's expectations or beliefs concerning future events that involves risks and uncertainties, including:

      *  those associated with the effect of national and regional economic
         conditions;
      *  lowered levels of consumer spending resulting from a general economic
         downturn or lower levels of consumer confidence;
      *  the performance of the Company's products within the prevailing
         retail environment;
      *  customer acceptance of both new designs and newly introduced product
         lines;
      *  the Company's reliance on a few department store groups for large
         portions of the Company's business;
      *  consolidation of the Company's retail customers;
      *  financial difficulties encountered by customers;
      *  the effects of vigorous competition in the markets in which the
         Company operates;
      *  the Company's ability to identify acquisition candidates and, in an
         increasingly competitive environment for such acquisitions, acquire
         such businesses on reasonable financial and other terms;
      *  the integration of the organizations and operations of any acquired
         businesses into the Company's existing organization and operations;
      *  the Company's reliance on independent foreign manufacturers;
      *  changes in the costs of raw materials, labor and advertising;
      *  the general inability to obtain higher wholesale prices for the
         Company's products that the Company has experienced for many years;
      *  the uncertainties of sourcing associated with the new environment in
         which general quota has expired on apparel products (while China has
         agreed to safeguard quota on certain classes of apparel products
         through 2008, political pressure will likely continue for restraint
         on importation of apparel);
      *  the Company's ability to successfully implement new operational and
         financial computer systems; and
      *  the Company's ability to secure and protect trademarks and other
         intellectual property rights.

A further description of these risks and uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, including, but not limited to, the Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Disclosure and Item 1A -- Risk Factors therein, and in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such expectations may prove to be incorrect. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Jones Apparel Group, Inc.

Efthimios P. Sotos, Chief Financial Officer of Jones Apparel Group, Inc., +1-215-785-4000; or Dawn Brown, Vice President Publicity of Barneys New York, +1-212-450-8699