Designer Rachel Roy has announced the debut of Rachel Rachel Roy, a diffusion line of footwear, apparel and accessories that will be available exclusively at Macy’s.

The first line of eight to 10 footwear styles will include flats, heels and boots, ranging in price from $79 to $199.

Jones Apparel Group, which acquired a 50 percent stake in Rachel Roy IP Co. in July 2008, will oversee the line.

“[Jones CEO] Wes Card went to Macy’s with the idea,” said Rick Paterno, wholesale president of better footwear brands at Nine West, a Jones subsidiary. “Conversations developed early on that the Rachel concept could be something exclusive to Macy’s.”

“Rachel Roy is a very respected designer within the industry, and she has such a great feel for making femininity modern,” Muriel Gonzalez, Macy’s EVP and GMM of cosmetics, fragrance and shoes told Footwear News. “Our customers will respond to her contemporary style.”

Rachel Rachel Roy is slated to launch in 85 Macy’s locations in August and will be merchandised in branded shop-in-shops on the sales floor. But shoes will most likely be found in Macy’s general shoe departments.

Despite the price-point parity with Nine West and other Jones brands, Paterno is confident that Roy’s footwear will occupy its own niche in the marketplace. “This collection will have a distinct point of view,” he said. “There’s going to be an aspirational element that will attract a young woman who maybe can’t afford a higher end designer.”