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The Return of Christian Francis Roth

JUNE 26, 2008

Designer Christian Francis Roth, who sold whimsical, high-end pieces such as a "fried egg suit" before going out of business in 1997, plans to show his first designer collection in more than 10 years at New York fashion week in September.

The new line -- named Francis -- will be priced below high-end labels. Mr. Roth's plan is for it to hit stores in spring, with prices ranging from $350 to $475 for dresses and $425 to $650 for jackets.
Mr. Roth, who has been designing for mid-tier lines such as Tommy Bahama and Nordstrom's private labels, said he decided to launch Francis after noticing a dearth of creative, but affordable clothing. "The market isn't saturated with what I want to do," said Mr. Roth, whose dresses and jackets used to sell for $1,100 to $1,800 on average.
The New York City-based designer, who was forced to close .......read on ....

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