By Marcellous L. Jones

September 16, 2008


Paris , France - Cole Haan has recently announced that the former N°1 tennis champion Maria Sharapova will be the new face of it Spring/Summer 2009 Sporting collection.

The Spring 2009 global launch of the Cole Haan Sporting line includes men's and women's footwear and accessories. A combination of sports attire, sporting gear and fashion, this new line is being branded as a lifestyle fashion collection which “will encompass day to evening silhouettes in both the footwear and accessories…”

Sharapova, the winner of three grand slam tennis tournaments, first burst onto the international scene as both a tennis player and Russian beauty in June 2004 when she as the 15 th rank player in the world, upset defending champion Serena Williams in the finals. She then went on to win the 2006 US Open title and is the current reigning 2008 Australian Open champion. Of the court, she has posed for numerous fashion magazines including Vogue, and has effectively replaced Anna Kournikova as the world’s most sought after female tennis player.

"Cole Haan Sporting proves that fashion and technology can work together to change the way women think about and wear sport-inspired product," said Sharapova. "I look forward to working with Cole Haan to bring new innovations to this leading fashion brand with such a rich history."

The Cole Haan Sporting collection will be sold at Cole Haan boutiques around the world, luxury department stores and at colehaan.com. The Cole Haan brands are fully owned subsidiaries of NIKE Inc.