ME NewsWire/Business Wire

NEW YORK - Tuesday, July 8th 2014

Award-winning entertainer Ellen DeGeneres and J. Christopher Burch, founder of C. Wonder and CEO of Burch Creative Capital, announced today the formation of a joint partnership to create and sell E.D., a new collection designed by Ms. DeGeneres. E.D. will offer an array of product categories including home, ready-to-wear, accessories, and pets. First to launch will be a capsule collection of direct-to-consumer home items for Holiday 2014 followed by a full collection launch at retail for Spring 2015.

This partnership has created a new paradigm for celebrity-based collections. Both Ms. DeGeneres and Mr. Burch are equally invested, with Ms. DeGeneres providing creative direction and Mr. Burch bringing manufacturing and brand development expertise. Additionally, the new company has many highly experienced retail and brand experts in management and board leadership positions including Michael Francis, Chief Global Brand Officer, DreamWorks Animation and former Global CMO of Target; Marisa Gardini, Managing Partner of E.D. and former President & CEO of Isaac Mizrahi; and Janet Grove, Former Corporate Vice Chairman of Macy's Inc. and Chairman and CEO of Macy's Merchandising Group.

Ellen DeGeneres said, “I’m so excited to work with Chris and our incredibly talented team on this new venture. I’ve always wanted to launch a line of home goods, clothing and accessories. I already get to be inside people’s living rooms with my show. Now I get to be in their kitchens, in their beds, and in their pants. Wait. That’s not what I meant.”

J. Christopher Burch said, “This entire collaboration came together so serendipitously. None of us were looking for a new business opportunity, but it’s such a rare occurrence to meet amazing people with like minds and great chemistry, we just knew we had to work together. And on top of it all, Ellen is not only an extraordinary human being, but she also has an amazing eye. From her homes to her art to the set of her television show, her style informs everything in her life. The products she is developing are, in and of themselves, fabulous. Her indelible sense of style, coupled with her incredible social reach and enthusiasm, make her a wonderful partner.”

A website will be developed and launched. Product will be available through wholesale and retail channels, as well as direct to consumer.

About Ellen DeGeneres

Beloved television icon and entertainment pioneer, Ellen DeGeneres’ distinctive comic voice has resonated with audiences from her first stand-up comedy appearances through her work today on television, in film, and in the literary world.

She hosts the leading daytime entertainment program on television with her hit syndicated talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” The show, now entering its 12th season, has won a total of 51 Daytime Emmys. She has an enormous social media following, with 29.12 million Twitter followers, more than 15 million Facebook fans, over nine million You Tube subscribers, and over five million Instagram followers.

DeGeneres has also won 14 People’s Choice Awards, and the Teen Choice Award for “Choice Comedian” for a fifth consecutive year. The most recent Forbes Celebrity 100 list ranks Ellen at number five.

In 1997, DeGeneres was the recipient of the coveted Peabody Award as well as earning an Emmy ® for writing the critically acclaimed “Puppy Episode” for her hit show, “Ellen,” in which her character came out as a gay woman to a record 46 million viewers.

DeGeneres’ three books have all debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list. She has been included in Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women as well as Entertainment Weekly’s 50 Most Powerful Entertainers. She has hosted the Academy Awards twice, most recently in 2014, garnering the telecast’s largest audience in 14 years. Her famous Academy Awards selfie was retweeted more than three million times, shattering all Twitter records.

About Burch Creative Capital

Burch Creative Capital’s investment philosophy is an expression of J. Christopher Burch’s entrepreneurial values and his vision for new market opportunities, using a creative skill set along with sound financial practices to create, incubate, support, and scale disruptive brands and businesses. Burch Creative Capital’s brand portfolio includes the recent introductions of C. Wonder, Poppin, Trademark and Nihiwatu Resort in Indonesia to a list of established brands previously embraced by Chris including the Faena Hotel + Universe, Jawbone, Next Jump, Powermat, Tory Burch, and Voss Water.

Contacts

For BCL-ED, llc

Eileen O’Neill, 646-443-2062

eileen@lividini.com

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