Tito Puente Jr. to appear at JCPenney's stores in the Aventura and Dadeland Malls

MIAMI, FL. (Perry Ellis International Inc) - Perry Ellis International Inc. (Nasdaq:PERY) announced today that the Havanera Co.(R) brand spokesman Tito Puente Jr. will be appearing at JCPenney's Aventura and Dadeland Mall stores on Saturday, July 31 from 12:00 - 1:30 PM and 2:30 - 4:00 PM respectively. As part of his appearance, Tito Puente Jr. will meet and greet his many fans, and autograph a sampler CD from his newly released "In My Father's Shoes" album with the purchase of the Havanera Co. merchandise.

Perry Ellis International's grass roots marketing initiatives include using the Havanera Co. brand to sponsor Tito Puente Jr. on a seven-city tour. He has appeared at JCPenney stores promoting local community events like Fiesta Broadway in Los Angeles, the Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC and the upcoming VIVA Chicago. Perry Ellis International is promoting the success of the Havanera Co. brand through a multi-media campaign with a bilingual direct mail piece, billboard advertising and a print campaign in Latina magazine.

In addition, contestants from the 2004 Ms. Latina International Pageant will be present for photo and autograph opportunities.
"Our commitment to grass roots marketing is an excellent way to connect with the consumer," said Lori Medici, vice president of marketing for Perry Ellis International. "We are demonstrating this commitment through our national tour with Tito Puente Jr. and our participation in regional events."
For more information on the Havanera Co.(R) and dates of events and appearances please log onto https://www.havanera.com.