Donald J Pliner is hot, hot, hot. His footwear is described in many ways. Some of the adjectives you’ll hear to describe his shoes, boots, sandals, clogs and mules include "classy, "comfortable" and "worth every penny."

Donald J Pliner was born in 1943 in Chicago, Illinois. From a family with its roots in the shoe business, Donald quickly rose to fame and fortune. He learned the shoe business from his father, Leo, who owned Pliner’s Florsheim Family Shoe Store in Chicago. By 1967 Donald opened his own shoe store – Pappagallo in Beverly Hills. It’s been reported that the first year sales in Donald J Pliner’s first store reached nearly one million dollars. Impressive by any measure.

Donald really became well known and admired with his rise to prominence with The Right Bank Clothing Company just off Camden Drive in Beverly Hills. Several years later the store changed its name and became known as The Right Bank Shoe Company and served as the premiere outlet in the United States for European designers including Thierry Mugler, Castelbajac, Maud Frizon, Basile, Bistonte, Trussardi and Stephen Kelian.

Around the same time, Donald opened another store known as The Right Bank Clothing Company and Tea Room on Rodeo Drive – the hub of the upscale "who’s who" shopping area. Never one to sit still, Donald J Pliner continued to innovate and experiment. He continued developing new and impressive lines of clothing and accessories. Some developed such an enormous following that they supported a new wholesale division. The division’s products were picked up by a variety of prominent retailers and Donald J Pliner’s Right Bank Clothing Company and Tea Room became a hip spot for celebrities to meet and be seen.

In 1984, Donald J Pliner was recruited by a company known as Intershoe to lead its line of footwear produced in Spain. Donald’s role became significant and he guided the collection or products and the entire business including the sale force. Donald held several other positions that helped establish him as one of the trend setters and leaders in European manufacturers of fashion products – especially shoes. In 1989, Donald created his own line of footwear and accessories with the brand that he is now legendary for – his own brand – Donald J Pliner.

To this day, Donald is the driving force behind the well-known and sought after brand that he conceived – Donald J Pliner. He creates shoes and accessories that have energy, spirit, a fashion-forward look, class, sensuality and comfort. An impressive and envied position in the fashion industry.

Donald J Pliner is a leader in fashion footwear and accessories. His products are innovative, creative, energetic, sexy and comfortable. Everything the fashion forward segment of the population is seeking. His products are inspired by European fashion – something that Donald J Pliner himself has been intimately involved with for many years.

Some recent coverage in the media for the Donald J Pliner brand (and for Donald himself) includes the following publications:

• Harper’s Bazaar March 2004
• Lucky Magazine March 2004
• Paper City/Houston for an event called "pooch-apalooza"
• Men’s Fitness April 2004
• Shuz Spring 2004
• Instinct April 2004
• Harper’s Bazaar April 2004
• Front Desk Los Angeles May 2004
• Luxe Living May 2004
• W Magazine June 2004
• Tropical Life June 2004
• Florida International Magazine July/August 2004
• People en Espanol September 2003
• The Hollywood Reporter September/October 2003
• People Magazine November 2003
• GQ August 2003

Donald’s not shy and the media loves him. The Los Angeles Times has called him the "Whiz Kid" of retailing. The well-respected publication Women’s Wear Daily dubbed him an "amazing retailer who can move merchandise sight unseen" and other fashion publications referred to him as a "fashion genius."

Many of these comments were made back when Donald was the proprietor and the creative and leadership force behind the Right Bank Clothing & Shoe Company, the legendary boutique he created in Beverly Hills that helped to defined Hollywood fashion in the 70s and 80s.

Now Donald J Pliner has six very successful boutiques in the United States. And he will open a concept boutique in Las Vegas’ new Forum Shops (the most prestigious of prestigious). This new store is in a great location. It’s right there with Kate Spade, Gucci, Scoop, Hugo Boss, Armani, Louis Vuitton and Burberry. Nice company to keep by anybody’s measure.

The new store will be located at 3750 S. Las Vegas Blvd in the Forum Shops of Las Vegas (maps and directions available at http://maps.yahoo.com or call the Forum Shops at (702) 893-4800). The store will feature 1,900 square feet of selling space and will showcase Donald J Pliner's collections of footwear, including his new Pliner Couture and Sport lines. The store will also offer Donald J Pliner handbags, accessories, leather apparel and outerwear for women and men.

The new retail boutique is brimming with Mr. Pliner’s energy and creativity. Donald was very involved with the store’s design – as he has been with all of his retail ventures. The store includes influences that are described as African, Moroccan and Southwestern. There are handmade decorative accessories, exotic lighting, handmade accessories, some really cool furniture and luxury-laden rugs and pillows.

Donald J Pliner’s fashions are so hot, that his work had been translated into art. Phone kiosks around the New York City area were recently adorned with interpretations of Donald J Pliner’s Fall 2004 collection. The art was done by Kenzo Minami. The project was coordinated by W Magazine and was choreographed with fashion week in New York.

Just when you thought you’d seen it all, there more from Donald J Pliner. It’s called Babydoll Pliner and its stuff for dogs (smaller dogs, up to about 20 pounds). This is the stuff of pampered pooches. The jet set that lives, breathes, eats, sleeps and travels with their well-groomed canines.

Babydoll Pliner features coats and accessories from Friends of Babydoll Pliner. This design and creativity effort was done jointly by Donald J Pliner and his wife Lisa. These fashions are made in Italy and everything is carefully thought out so that your pooch is well cared for (just like Donald and Lisa Pliner’s pooch is well cared for). Coats range from prices between $210 and $420 depending upon style and material. Products include a buckskin coat lined with cashmere, hooded shearlings, hand embroidered designs based on birds (with hoods that are removable). And the best of the best – a day glo coat trimmed with leather and lined with cashmere. Has the world gone to the dogs? You would hope so because you’ve never looked so good as you would with these doggie fashions from Friends of Babydoll Pliner and inspired by Donald J Pliner and his wife Lisa.

But Babydoll is not just about looking good. It’s about traveling well. And the Friends of Babydoll Pliner also offer a couple of upscale travelers for your road-weary poochie friends. Two different styles. One is for daytime shopping and one is for under the seat airline travel (meeting FAA guidelines).

Platinum Television Group recently announced the selection of Donald J Pliner Footwear for its innovative, educational television series, Great Taste.

Donald’s well-established reputation for high-fashion, top quality footwear and accessories helped influence the decision made by Platinum Television Group.

The segment of Great Taste that Donald J Pliner was selected for will focus on a discussion of designer footwear and accessories, helping the consumer distinguish between various options and brand names. It will also educate the consumer on how to distinguish and understand quality, with an emphasis on comfort. It will include some background and historical information on Donald J Pliner’s company and its rise to fashion leadership. The show will also feature Donald J Pliner’s, showroom and a store, with interviews with key personnel and actual customers.

• Way cool and extremely comfortable (Donald J Pliner Sef2)
• Perfect height for knee length skirts (Donald J Pliner Sef2)
• Mesh/leather combo on these sandals requires no breaking in and is extremely comfortable (Donald J Pliner Darja)
• Comfort, style, class (Donald J Pliner Rex)
• Fashion & comfort – this shoe is worth every penny. (Donald J Pliner Lyla-Haircalf)
• These are absolutely the best shoes I’ve ever had. And I’m on my feet all day. I wore these for a weekend in the city and loved them so much I’m going to buy another pair. (Donald J Pliner Mallow)