High-end fashion-inspired uniforms are an emerging trend in the hospitality, and gaming industry, and Cintas, in partnership with top designers such as Lafayette 148, Cynthia Rowley and Joseph Abboud, is leading this industry trend.

Recent market research performed by Cintas concluded that nearly 60% of consumers believe they will get better quality and service from businesses that feature employees in innovative retail-inspired uniforms, and almost 70% of consumers say that an employee's appearance directly affects their expectations of a business's quality of products and services.

Retail-inspired uniforms gained national exposure this spring when NBC's The Apprentice featured Apprentice hopefuls working with Lafayette 148 to redesign the apparel for Embassy Suites Hotels(R).

"Today's consumer pays more attention to fashion and style," said Dan Ambrosio, Vice-President of Specialty Sales, Cintas National Account Sales Division. "We know that consumers equate quality service and attention to detail with better-dressed employees."

As part of its fashion leadership platform, Cintas is also dialing up the style quotient with its private label uniforms by hiring design talent from top fashion schools, like Parsons School of Design -- Los Angeles, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the International Academy of Design and Technology.

Cintas, a winner of countless awards for custom-made apparel including the 2006 NAUMD "Image of the Year" award for the new-uniform program at the Wynn Resort-Las Vegas, has teamed up with world-renowned fashion designers to implement new uniform programs for a variety of businesses. Most recently, Cintas, in concert with Lafayette 148 developed the Workstyle by Lafayette 148 apparel collection for Embassy Suites, which is set to be introduced to the more than 180 hotels within the Embassy Suites brand in the first quarter of 2007.

"This major uniform initiative for Embassy Suites has been an exciting journey that began on NBC's reality show, The Apprentice. Lafayette 148 designed the Workstyle collection to combine high fashion and quality with the absolute comfort and utility that employees desire. Our partnership with Cintas has made this collection a real-life reality," said Debra Clark, Vice President of Marketing, Lafayette 148 New York.

"Lafayette 148 is a creative and modern design house, and we are very pleased with our collaboration on the Embassy Suites Workstyle program," said Dan Ambrosio.

This partnership is just one dimension of what Cintas has unveiled at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show this week in New York. The new message "Fashion Delivered" reinforces their commitment to design innovation by staying ahead of trends to offer a total fashion solution.

"The bar has been raised in the hospitality uniform industry and innovative design is just part of what we have to offer. With our high-end customized fashions, seamless distribution and outstanding services we have positioned ourselves as a design resource to enhance our client's brand and deliver the fashion they demand," said Ambrosio.

Other designers Cintas has partnered with include Cynthia Rowley for Kimpton Hotels and Joseph Abboud for Mohegan Sun. In addition, Michael Kors designed an exclusive program for W Hotels powered by Cintas which is due to be rolled out later this year.