SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
            REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Filed by the Registrant {   }

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant { x }

Check the appropriate box:

{   }   Preliminary Consent Statement

{   }   Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as Permitted by  Rule 14a-
        6(e)(2))

{   }   Definitive Consent Statement

{   }   Definitive Additional Materials

{ X }   Soliciting Material Pursuant to  Section  240.14a-11(c) or Section  240.
        14a-12


                                  DESIGNS, INC.
                (NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

                            JEWELCOR MANAGEMENT, INC.
     (NAME OF PERSON(S) FILING DEFINITVE ADDITIONAL MATERIAL, IF OTHER THAN
                                   REGISTRANT)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

{ x } No Fee required.

{   } Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11:





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 1999
Contact:  Jacqueline Quigley          (561) 447-4713

   Jewelcor Management, Inc. Considers New Designs, Inc. Consent Solicitation

Wilkes-Barre,  Pennsylvania...Jewelcor  Management, Inc. (JMI) stated today that
the consent  solicitation to remove 5 of the 6 members of the Board of Directors
of Designs,  Inc.  (NASDAQ-DESI)(Designs)  fell short of the  required  majority
vote. In the consent  solicitation it was necessary for JMI to obtain a majority
of the outstanding shares, not just a majority of the shares voted.

Seymour Holtzman,  President of JMI, stated, "We ended up with approximately 43%
of the  outstanding  shares  supporting our proposal.  Since the record date for
voting was set at December 7, 1998,  shareholders  who purchased shares of stock
between  that date and  February 5, 1999 did not  receive a proxy from JMI,  and
were likely not able to vote on our  proposal.  The  trading  volume in Designs'
stock amounted to approximately 6 million shares during this period, and for all
intents and purposes, JMI received no support from this significant  shareholder
group.

During the past month, JMI has continually initiated settlement discussions with
Designs.  Holtzman  stated,  "In situations  like this, I am always  amenable to
negotiate  a  settlement  that  would  be in  the  best  interest  of all of the
shareholders."  In  attempting to negotiate a settlement  with Designs,  JMI has
asked the company to stipulate that it would sell to the highest bidder,  and so
far the company has refused.  Holtzman  asks,  "Why won't the Board of Directors
unequivocally  state that the company will be sold to the highest  bidder?  What
are they afraid of? I have always been  uncomfortable  with the possibility that
the  company  may not be sold at all,  or if it is sold,  it would be sold under
some "sweetheart"  arrangement.  Also of great concern to me is that the company
has  not  so  far  agreed  to  stipulate  that  management   would  not  receive
preferential  treatment in any sale transaction.  In my opinion,  this should be
alarming to all shareholders."

"Furthermore, Designs has insisted that JMI, one of the largest shareholders, be
prohibited from commenting on any offer made to sell the company under the terms
of any settlement.  My interpretation of Designs' position is that if members of
management  want to purchase the company with Russian  Rubles or "funny money" I
would  not  have  the  ability  to  comment,   notwithstanding   that  JMI  owns
approximately 1.57 million shares of common stock of the company."

"It has been two months since the current management has launched its efforts to




sell the company,  and I am not  impressed  with their  progress.  I continue to
seriously  question  whether  or not  the  current  management  of  the  company
sincerely intends to sell the company. As I have stated in the past,  management
does not have to inform the  shareholders  of any offer it does not accept,  and
they  could  implement  further  anti-takeover   strategies  to  preserve  their
positions."

Holtzman  said,  "I am always  willing to discuss an  amicable  solution of this
matter on terms that are acceptable to all parties,  and most importantly,  that
benefit all shareholders.  However, attempts to settle this matter on acceptable
terms up to this point have been futile.  I am now giving serious  consideration
to immediately  initiating an additional  consent  solicitation,  similar to the
previous  solicitation,  so that the shareholders who purchased stock subsequent
to December 7, 1998 would have an opportunity to vote."

                                     * * * *

JMI and certain other persons  named below may be deemed to be  participants  in
the solicitation of consents (the "Solicitation") to, among other things, remove
5 of the 6 current  members of the Board of  Directors of Designs (the "Board of
Directors")  and  replace  such  directors  with a new slate of  directors.  The
participants in the Solicitation  may include the following  persons who JMI may
put  forward to serve on the Board of  Directors  if elected:  Jesse H.  Choper,
Seymour  Holtzman,  Peter R.  McMullin,  Deborah  M.  Rhem-Jackson  and Steve R.
Tomasi;  and the following  employees of JMI, its  affiliates and other persons:
Brian Bufalino,  Richard L. Huffsmith,  Jacqueline Quigley, and James R. Verano.
As of the date of this communication,  JMI owns an aggregate of 1,570,200 shares
of common stock of Designs.