"Want It! is a key tenet of the Saks business strategy this fall. It focuses on a broad range of our customers and offers key fashion trends in an array of price points and styles," said Andrew Jennings, President and COO, Saks Fifth Avenue. "Want It! is a remarkable collaboration between our vendors, our managing partners and our sponsors and we are especially grateful to Extra Fine Merino Wool(TM) for their sponsorship. So many of the designers we feature at Saks prefer the natural elegance of wool, and the emergence this fall of Extra Fine Merino Wool made this partnership an ideal opportunity for us. I would also like to thank the wide array of vendors who have supported our efforts to make this fall fashion campaign a huge success."

"For Want It!, we singled out the items we were truly enthusiastic about and bought them in a full range of styles and designers, so there's something for the customer who's just starting to shop with us as well as something for the die-hard fashion lovers," said Ron Frasch, Vice Chairman and Chief Merchant, Saks Fifth Avenue. "Our goal with Want It! is to give all of our customers the chance to tap into these trends in a way that complements his or her own personal style."

The anointed Want It! items run the gamut and the essentials for Women include: the Voluminous Sleeve; the Narrow Pantsuit; the Romantic Blouse; Wide-Leg Pants; the Textured Knit; the Fur-Trimmed Coat; Leggings; the Flat Boot; the Satchel Bag; Gloves; Skinny Jeans; the Red Lip; and anything in Wool.

For Men, Want It! pieces are: the Leather Blazer; Straight-Leg Jeans; Velvet; the Cardigan; the Sport Boot; the Fancy White Shirt; the Fine-Gauge Knit; the Pea Coat; and again, anything in Wool. (See Attached Sheet for more details.)

Michael Roberts

Providing the eye-catching visual presence of the campaign is Michael Roberts, former fashion director at The New Yorker and newly appointed fashion and style director at Vanity Fair. Mr. Roberts has created over 20 original works of art to illustrate Saks Fifth Avenue's Want It! items in his signature snippy style, giving each trend its own unique, colorful personality.

Before joining Vanity Fair earlier this year, Michael Roberts held the title of fashion director at The New Yorker for nine years. He has also served as fashion editor of The Sunday Times, style director and art director of Tatler, design director of British Vogue, Paris editor of Vanity Fair, and contributing editor to Conde Nast Traveler.

Mr. Roberts has published four books of his trademark illustrations: The Snippy World of New Yorker Fashion Artist Michael Roberts (L7/Steidl, 2005), Snowman in Paradise (Chronicle, 2004), Mumbo Jumbo (Callaway, 2000) and The Jungle ABC (Callaway, 1998). He also served as art director and editor of Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue (Steidl, 2002).

"Michael Roberts' immaculate collages, each showcasing one of the Want It! items and many with a wink to fashion and art world icons such as Bruce Weber, Polly Mellen and Andy Warhol, provide the colorful, witty and charming spirit that drives the campaign," noted Terron Schaefer, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Saks Fifth Avenue. "Michael Roberts' Want It! artwork will appear in Saks Fifth Avenue stores, advertising and other marketing materials, and we're thrilled to collaborate with such a brilliant artist and celebrated name in fashion."

Saks Fifth Avenue will announce the event to consumers with a national advertising campaign, Want It! themed catalogs, direct mail and promotional activities -- all leading up to a pair of opening night galas in New York City and Beverly Hills on September 13, 2006, benefiting a charity to be announced at a later date. The next day, Want It! will roll out in all 55 stores and on saks.com. A variety of Want It! related festivities, special appearances and in-store events will drive the campaign in the following weeks.

WANT IT! WOMEN'S

VOLUMINOUS SLEEVE
* get a little drama up your sleeve with this brand-new proportion
* go soft and romantic or architectural and cropped
* pump up the volume on blouses, jackets and coats

NARROW PANTSUIT
* long, lean lines turn you into a tall, cool sip of water
* a wardrobe classic, updated with a slim, tapered shape
* soften its sleek tailoring with a romantic blouse or long gloves

ROMANTIC BLOUSE
* put a little woo in your fall wardrobe
* the feminine mystique lives on in ruffles, lace and bows
* with jeans or a tuxedo, it'll make them swoon

WIDE-LEG PANTS
* join the elegant ranks of Hepburn and Garbo
* the fluid silhouette gives you plenty of wiggle room
* go for proportion control: a fitted jacket or knit top

TEXTURED KNIT
* be a wrap star in layer upon knitted layer
* choose from chunky cables, cowls and cocoons
* wear it out: from swing cardigans to sweater coats

FUR-TRIMMED COAT
* think mink (and beaver and lamb and chinchilla)
* long-haired and funky furs drive classic coats wild
* indulge in thick bands of fur at collar and cuffs

LEGGINGS
* the shape to be in: form-fitting, sleek and always opaque
* stretch into textured territory or stay smooth
* absolutely essential with minis and long sweaters

FLAT BOOT
* well-heeled for fall means 1 inch or down to the ground
* wear them to the calf, to the knee or over-the-knee
* boot up with skirts, skinny jeans and leggings

SATCHEL BAG
* a ladylike frame holds a soft, roomy shape
* the short handle fits comfortably in your gloved hand
* the perfect ally to the season's coats and suits

GLOVES
* give yourself a hand in wool, suede or leather
* from opera length to scrunched at the wrist to fingerless fun
* the newest arm candy to wear with cropped sleeves

SKINNY JEANS
* play it straight with super-slim denim
* from classic blue to sleek black to the latest dark grey
* pair them with flats or tuck them into boots

RED LIP
* the perfect pout starts here
* bold, beautiful shades of scarlet, crimson and bordeaux
* sculpted and matte for day with a slick of shine at night

WOOL
* get your hands on the natural softness of Extra Fine Merino Wool(TM)
* Extra Fine Merino Wool combines a luxurious feel with the properties
that made wool famous
* wool t-shirts, knits and tailored clothing effortlessly weave into your
wardrobe

WANT IT! MEN'S

LEATHER BLAZER
* double-agent operating as both evening jacket and street-wise coat
* identified by soft leather, peak lapels and roguish charm
* conspires with fall's newest straight-leg jeans

STRAIGHT-LEG JEANS
* the new streamlined denim architecture
* an engineering marvel, from classic cut to extreme stovepipe
* towers over sneakers, drivers, boots (and the competition)

VELVET
* luxurious velvet epitomizes masculine sensuality
* show your soft side: textured, printed or patterned
* simply irresistible with flannels or jeans

CARDIGAN
* it's open season for the sweater
* slimmer, trimmer and more photogenic than your grandpa's
* layer under a blazer or show it off as outerwear

SPORT BOOT
* rugged good looks always gather a crowd
* fans love the laces, grommets & buckles galore
* wear with jeans for mountain climbing & a suit for social climbing

FANCY WHITE SHIRT
* don't get hung up on the same old plain white shirt
* the rebel's in the details: pintucks, ruffles and embellishments
* walk the line between dressed up and dressed down

FINE-GAUGE KNIT
* a global landmark, renowned for its artisanal construction
* super-fine ribbing makes a monumental difference
* build your look with a suit, cardigan or fancy white shirt

PEA COAT
* a sleek seafarer with a penchant for shore-leave mischief
* recruited for double-breasted duty as both blazer and coat
* add a turtleneck & set sail in jeans and flannels

WOOL
* get your hands on the natural softness of Extra Fine Merino Wool(TM)
* Extra Fine Merino Wool combines a luxurious feel with the properties
that made wool famous
* wool t-shirts, knits and tailored clothing effortlessly weave into your
wardrobe