Kathy Ireland (born March 20, 1963) is an
American supermodel, actress, author, and entrepreneur. Kathy
Ireland is a wife, mother, Sunday school teacher and Chief Designer and CEO of Kathy Ireland Worldwide
(KIWW), whose mission is “… finding solutions for families, especially busy moms. [1]
Biography
Kathy Ireland, named “best friend to working mothers” by the Associated Press
and The Times began her career as a supermodel before undergoing a “metamorphosis to Super
Mogul” as stated by Readers Digest[2] . She has since gained far greater fame and fortune as the leading lifestyle designer and
manufacturer in many fields of home furnishings and fashion. The Today Show stated
Kathy is “named one of the top celebrity entrepreneurs, edging out even Oprah
Winfrey.”
Kathy Ireland (born Kathleen Marie Ireland on March 20th 1963 in Santa Barbara, California) was dubbed by
Forbes [3] and
Newsweek [4] magazine
“supermodel-turned-super mogul who has built a business that generates $1.4 billion in retail sales." She followed her initial
acclaim by becoming one of the most successful female entrepreneurs and designers in the world, resulting in her being named as
the only woman in Inc magazine’s top five celebrity entrepreneurs. Kathy has an honorary Masters Degree from American
InterContinental University. Kathy is Chief Designer and CEO of Kathy Ireland Worldwide, a design and marketing firm, whose
mission is
“… finding solutions for families,
especially busy moms.”
Women’s Wear Daily, acknowledged her Brand as America’s 7th most popular in its category. Kurt
Solomon and Associated named Kathy’s Brand as number one in product innovation, number one in percentage increase of customer
loyalty and fifth most recognized brand with women 18 to 49.
Kathy’s designs appear in the same prestigious magazines that ask her to grace their covers: Cosmopolitan, Glamour, McCalls,
People, Redbook, Shape Fit
Pregnancy, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vanity Fair.
Her products are regularly featured editorially beside those of Oscar de la Renta,
Tommy Hilfiger, Cartier, Liz Claiborne, Charles Jourdan, and Gucci. She is a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNBC,
The Today Show, Oprah, Larry King, Access Hollywood and Main Floor and has had specials on
E!, [[VH1] ]and Entertainment Tonight. In addition,
she has also been featured in Business Week, Parade,
The New York Times and The Washington
Post, Forbes, and Inc Magazine.
Internationally, the Kathy Ireland Brand appears in Elle, Hola,
Marie Claire, Latina, Cosmopolitan, People Espanol and Harper’s
Bazaar. It has received wonderful reviews from Good Housekeeping,
Latina, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Crecer Feliz, People Espanol and
Teen People en Espanol.
Kathy parlayed her modeling career into success in nearly all fields of production and design through her firm Kathy Ireland
Worldwide, turning her into perhaps the most surefire brand name in the country. Business Week reports that her “label offers
15,000 different products.” Kathy Ireland Worldwide is named furniture manufacture of the year by Furniture Today and The
National Furniture Bank Association. Her rug and floor coverings business, in association with a company owned by Warren Buffet’s
Berkshire Hathaway, is one of the biggest Brands in that field. She once had a line of clothing sold at a discount channel and
has successfully moved it to the independent channel of distribution which is found in over 50,000 doors in 20 countries world
wide. Today, Kathy in concert with her Brand Partners produce more than 15,000 collaboratively designed SKUs in furniture,
flooring, lighting and accessories, window treatments, home office and entertainment, leather and microfiber, top of bed,
bedding, candles, permanent florals, hand painted fine porcelain, wall covering collections (including appliqués), bath
accessories, water features, jewelry and apparel. These products celebrate global influences. Her first venture, a company to
manufacture socks, recently sold its one hundred millionth pair. Kathy encourages you to vacation everyday with her innovative
Style Guides TM, Aloha, Americana, Architectural, La Vida Buena, European Country, In Russian Style, Far East Dreams, and Ivory
Coast. Kathy’s diverse business interests include Specialty Brands led by her Design Ambassadors and experts to facilitate the
Brand’s mission statement. Acafe by Kathy’s friend Chef Andre is a Kathy Ireland Brand Solution
devoted to food, entertaining and culture. Jardin du Jour (J du J), cultivated by award winning landscape designer
Nicholas Walker, is a Kathy Ireland Brand Solution devoted to bringing the outdoors in.
Kathy is the author of Powerful Inspirations: Eight Lessons that Will Change Your Life published by Double Day, which is in its
6th printing. Kathy also authored three children's books entitled An Angel Called Hope, What Do Mommies Do, and Mona’s Favorite
Words. Kathy is also the editor of her popular website www.kathyireland.com
Kathy is a sought after motivational speaker. She has appeared at the United Nations speaking to the 4th Annual Youth Assembly
addressing how to achieve the Eight Millennium Goals. She was the key not speaker at the Office Depot Success Strategies for
Women Conference with Dr. Maya Angelou and Barbara Walters and gave the key note address’ for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur
Awards, Comerica Bank’s Women’s Initiative and the Women in the Millionaire Zone events. Kathy is the godmother of Carnival
cruise lines 22nd ship, the M.S. Carnival Freedom
Kathy’s two Christmas movies, Once Upon A Christmas and Twice Upon A Christmas were the highest rated movies for the network
and they continue to air every year. Twice Upon A Christmas, received a special screening at the White House and reunited
original cast members John Dye and Mary Donnelly Haskell.
Kathy is a passionate advocate on behalf of various non-profit organizations. She is acknowledged by UCLA as one of the top 10
women’s health advocates in America. Kathy is the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s (EIF) Ambassador for Women’s Health Issues
and EIF’s Ambassador for the National Women’s Cancer Research Alliance. She is Ambassador of Hope for the City of Hope and
National Chair of Family Services and Parenting for Athletes and Entertainers for Kids. She is active in the Special Olympics,
and each holiday season, Kathy partners with Feed The Children and underwrites the distribution of 170,000 pounds of food,
clothing and toys to children in need across the nation. Kathy is the National Ambassador for the Help One Up organization whose
mission is that no childe should have to sleep on the floor. Kathy also serves as National Ambassador for IMom a web community
designed to help moms achieve their desire of caring for their children by learning how to grow wise, healthy, purpose-minded
relationally-focused children.
Career
Ireland has a modest number of television and movie acting appearances to her credit, including roles in Side Out, Mr. Destiny, Loaded Weapon 1 and Necessary Roughness.
Her first movie - 1988's Alien from L.A. - was mercilessly skewered (as were
Ireland's acting abilities and idiosyncratic, squeaky voice) when it appeared on the fifth season of Mystery Science Theater 3000. She is the author of Powerful Inspirations: Eight
Lessons That Will Change Your Life.
Ireland is the chief designer and CEO of Kathy Ireland Worldwide, a billion dollar brand product marketing company[5]. She began this industry in a time (pre-2000) when other
fashion models were refusing non-model contracts, which allowed her to begin building her industry before pop culture took the
fashion industry into model-style fashion industry. Ireland remains an avid public speaker on women's issues.
On March 4, 2007, she was named the Godmother of Carnival Cruise Lines 22nd ship, the M.S. Carnival Freedom
Personal life
Ireland was born Kathleen Marie Ireland in Santa Barbara,
California, daughter of Barbara, who was involved with charitable organizations, and John Ireland, a labor
union organizer.[6] Ireland
is left-handed. She is married to Dr. Greg Olsen and lives in Santa Barbara, California, with three children: son Erik born, May 1994, and daughters Lily,
born 27 October 1998, and Chloe, born March 2003. Her parents are John and Barbara Ireland. She has two sisters: Mary Ireland and
Cynthia Ireland.
Ireland has recently become outspoken about being pro-life. On Politically
Incorrect, she said that she used to be pro-choice, and said that after reading her husband's biology books, she
determined, "At the moment of conception, life starts".
Ireland gave a speech at the 4th Youth Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters on
the 13th of August 2007 on a subject of social entrepreneurship and partnerships.
References
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
