Kathy Ireland Brand Celebrates 10th Anniversary, October 2003

Furniture World Magazine

The The Chief Designer of the 18th largest furniture company in America is the same designer who just celebrated production of her 100 millionth pair of socks. Kathy Ireland? Who knew?! While Kathy may have found fashion recognition in the 80’s, her morphing career from supermodel to super-mogul in service to busy mothers is how she has earned the loyalty of millions of women over the past decade. This fall, Kathy celebrates the 10-year anniversary of her design firm. Kathy Ireland is one of the most successful brands in the country, having earned Best of Market honors for her home collection, the Good Housekeeping Seal for consumer excellence, a Designer of the Year nomination from the Dallas Market Center and Accessories Resource Team, Businesswoman of the Year from the National Association of Women Business Owners, an honoree of the National Association of Business Leaders, critical acclaim for her fashion and home designs. In addition, her burgeoning award-winning website, kathyireland.com receives millions of hits each month from satisfied customers. Kathy’s keys to success include sharing the stage with her experts. Her outdoor living effort, Jardin du Jour, which is a partnership with landscape designer Nicholas Walker, was awarded the Gold Medal at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. Her cooking and entertaining partnership, ACafe, led by her good friend Chef Andre Carthen, is another delicious accomplishment. “I don’t have a green thumb and I’m a lousy cook. Some people need help in their lives, I’m one of them. When in doubt, turn to the best. Partnering with other people makes it possible for our brand to be of service to women without pretending that I have all the answers. Because, I certainly don’t,” shares Kathy. My most important job is being a mother and a wife. Faith and family are my priorities,” says the real-life Sunday school teacher. Kathy’s completely involved from initial sketches and product approvals to the sales, communication and financing of her brand. It all started quite literally from the ground up in October 1993. Kathy loaded up her pickup and went across the country, door-to-door, presenting her collection of socks to retailers. Swimsuits would have been too obvious. The reception? They loved her socks. Slowly, she began adding various apparel collections and expanding her business into the home with partnerships in furniture, flooring, lighting, decorative accessories, wall art, bedding, tabletop and most recently, window coverings. She’s the rising designer in the home industry that is putting the heart back into business with an A-list of partners who are committed to fulfilling her mission of “…finding solutions for families, especially busy moms.” No wonder People Magazine describes Kathy as a “mogul whose clothing and home-furnishings lines gross a billion dollars a year.” Women’s Wear Daily reports, “shoppers are pairing Gucci tops with Kathy Ireland Capri’s.” Vanity Fair calls Kathy “an amazing inspiration … she’s become a heartland Martha Stewart.” Home Furnishing News raves, “retailers across the nation agree [The Kathy Ireland Home Collection]… sells … and sells …and sells.” Unbelievably, Kathy has taken her brand from discount to an independent mid-tier retail strategy. Skeptics said no one could move from mass merchant to mid-tier, but that is exactly what Kathy did. She is excited to share the stories, objections and failures that she encountered along the way to becoming a powerhouse brand. Kathy didn’t allow the critics, naysayers and non-believers to detract her from serving her customer. Along with her success, Kathy remains committed to a growing list of non-profit organizations that help women and families in need. She’s the recipient of the Outstanding Mother of the Year from the National Mother’s Day Committee and is one of UCLA’s Top Ten Women Health Advocates in America. Kathy is actively involved with the Arthritis Foundation, Project Inform, The Dream Foundation, Athletes and Entertainers for Kids, Habitat for Humanity and the Special Olympics. These efforts receive global recognition. Eunice Kennedy Shrives shares that we must “follow [Kathy’s] leadership, you who are pioneers for change.” Ultimately it is Kathy’s Christian beliefs, which guide her life, business, and need to give back. It’s an exciting time for Kathy as she celebrates the 10th anniversary of her brand. But, as she will share with you, it’s her family, being a wife to an ER physician-husband and mother to three great children, which are the major focus in her life. The recent birth of daughter Chloe was a blessed gift that Kathy received as she turned 40. She’s written her first book, “Powerful Inspirations: Eight Lessons That Will Change Your Life,” published by Doubleday, which will appear in paperback in January.