Xcel Brands and Paradium.AI Unveil Groundbreaking "PetHelpful x Trust·Respect·Love by Cesar Millan" Co-Brand, Increasing the Co-Brands Reach from 21 Million to over 50 Million

NEW YORK, Oct. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: XELB) and Paradium.AI, Inc. (NYSE American: PAAI), owner of iconic media brands including Parade, Men’s Journal, and more, today announced a transformative agreement to launch PetHelpful x Trust·Respect·Love by Cesar Millan. Targeted for a third-quarter 2027 retail launch, the co-brand represents a major evolution in the consumer lifestyle space, uniting a premier celebrity expert with a massive, always-on digital publishing engine.
The collaboration bridges a critical gap in modern retail. While traditional publishing brands offer massive reach but lack a definitive, trusted "face," and celebrity category experts possess deep authority but lack an always-on promotional and educational commerce engine, this partnership delivers both.
The comprehensive co-brand will span multiple pet categories. Xcel Brands will leverage its proven expertise in orchestrating strategic retail partnerships by collaborating with a network of premier, licensed operating partners to develop and manufacture the line. Trust·Respect·Love by Cesar Millan brings Cesar's decades of work with dogs and their owners into premium products built on his core principles, utilizing the cleanest, safest, and best materials available worldwide.
"Trust, respect, and love are the foundation of every relationship between a person and their dog. I've spent more than twenty five years helping families build that foundation, and the way they care for their dogs every day is part of it,” said Cesar Millan. “With PetHelpful, owners get my guidance and products made to the same standard, in the same place."
"Pet owners go to PetHelpful when they're looking for answers. Cesar has spent his career giving them those answers," said Robert D'Loren, Chairman and CEO of Xcel Brands.
To fuel this commerce machine, Paradium will deploy its proprietary Cutter Studios technology, an advanced AI platform that ingests long-form video content and seamlessly adapt it into dozens of highly engaging, bite-sized shoppable videos and written articles. This ensures a steady, targeted stream of educational and promotional content across Parade, PetHelpful, and Cesar Millan's own platforms, which together boast a combined reach of over 21 million social media followers and 31 million monthly readers.
"By combining Cesar's unparalleled expertise with our Cutter Studios AI technology, we are transforming passive readership into active, educated commerce," said Lisa Delaney, GM & Chief Content Officer of Paradium.AI Lifestyle. "We are effectively building an always-on educational platform where pet owners can consume bite-sized, trusted advice, and then purchase the premium products necessary to act on it."
About Xcel Brands, Inc.
Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: XELB) is a media and consumer products company engaged in the design, licensing, marketing, live streaming, and social commerce sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, fine jewelry, home goods, pet products and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands. Xcel was founded in 2011 with a vision to reimagine shopping, entertainment, and social media as social commerce. Xcel is an industry leader in developing influencer led brands and owns the Halston and C. Wonder brands, as well as the co-branded influencer led brands Tower Hill by Christie Brinkley, Trust. Respect. Love by Cesar Millan, GemmaMade by Gemma Stafford and OFF/DUTY by Coco Rocha brand and holds a long-term license agreement in Mesa Mia by Jenny Martinez. Xcel also owns and manages the Longaberger by Shannon Doherty brand through its controlling interest in Longaberger Licensing, LLC. Xcel is pioneering a modern consumer products sales strategy which includes the promotion and sale of products under its brands through interactive television, digital live-stream shopping, social commerce, brick-and-mortar retailers, and e-commerce channels to be everywhere its customers’ shop. The company’s previously owned and current brands have generated more than $5 billion in retail sales via livestreaming in interactive television and digital channels alone and has over 20,000 hours of content production time in live-stream and social commerce. The brand portfolio reaches more than 46 million social media followers with broadcast reaching 200 million households. Headquartered in New York City, Xcel Brands is led by an executive team with significant live streaming, production, merchandising, design, marketing, retailing, and licensing experience, and a proven track record of success in elevating branded consumer products companies. For more information, visit www.xcelbrands.com.

For further information please contact:
Xcel Brands
media@xcelbrands.com

About Paradium.AI, Inc.
Paradium.AI, Inc. (NYSE American: PAAI) is a technology leader in IP, data and commerce that builds and operates a unified, AI-powered ecosystem designed to empower creators, media entrepreneurs, publishers and brands to perform at the speed and scale of AI. Through our core technology platforms Encore, InfoSentience and Cutter Studios, we provide the tools, data and reach that enable businesses to serve and grow audiences and optimize for revenue success. Visit us at Paradium.AI to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the planned launch, product categories, timing, and marketing support for the PetHelpful x Trust·Respect·Love by Cesar Millan co-brand. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the execution of definitive agreements, securing retail distribution, and product development timelines. Actual results may differ materially.