Kathy Ireland Joins Her Brand Team at Heimtextil in January, 2006
November 18, 2005
FRANKFURT, Germany — Kathy Ireland will get her first taste of Heimtextil this year, joining her Kathy Ireland Worldwide team, who will make their second showing there in January.
"This is really the place. This is where fashion is really beginning," Ireland said. "We hope to bring inspiration and share ideas and to learn. It's just a tremendous honor and I am so excited to be a part of Heimtextil."
Ireland started her company twelve years ago on her kitchen table when she was pregnant with her first child. It all began with her line of socks, sold at K-Mart.
Ireland, a former swimsuit model, said her previous career gave her a great education and exposed her to the best designers in the world, giving her a good base for the role she would soon play next on the other side of the camera.
Kathy Ireland Worldwide did $1.4 billion in sales last year and she expects that number increased in 2005.
"Today, our base is the independent retailer. They've been a wonderful shopping solution for our customer," she said. And that is exactly what KIWW sets out to do – provide solutions to busy moms.
The brand now includes a number of products, including socks, apparel, window coverings, top of bed, furniture and candles, just to name a few.
Ireland said the company is also now discussing doing contract work.
KIWW went international five years ago and the brand is sold in over 50,000 locations in 14 countries.
"There are moms all over the world who need solutions and we're open to working in any country where these women want and desire solutions."
Ireland said she's heard from many women who don't know if they'll be able to travel to many places they would like to, so she sets out to give them those experiences with her designs. Her style guides include lines such as "Aloha," "Ivory Coast," and "Far East Dreams."
These "style guides" take the stress and anxiety out of decorating rooms by offering the same theme throughout all aspects of room decoration.
Ireland said she takes a very "hands-on" approach to design and gives credit to her team members, many of whom have masters degrees in fine arts. She said they also use focus groups and raw materials from around the world to generate design ideas.
Ireland also takes the time to meet personally with her vendors, and said "it's those relationships, communication, learning and listening to one another," that make things work and click.
"I'm listening to our customer and implementing what it is that she is asking, so we need to hear this across the board. I hear from her everyday and from our vendors. We need to know what their needs are. We need to serve them as well."
Ireland said they plan to attend as many trade fairs as possible, "but Heimtextil is one that is so critical for us. It's such an important show and we're so happy to be a part of it."
"This is really the place. This is where fashion is really beginning," Ireland said. "We hope to bring inspiration and share ideas and to learn. It's just a tremendous honor and I am so excited to be a part of Heimtextil."
Ireland started her company twelve years ago on her kitchen table when she was pregnant with her first child. It all began with her line of socks, sold at K-Mart.
Ireland, a former swimsuit model, said her previous career gave her a great education and exposed her to the best designers in the world, giving her a good base for the role she would soon play next on the other side of the camera.
Kathy Ireland Worldwide did $1.4 billion in sales last year and she expects that number increased in 2005.
"Today, our base is the independent retailer. They've been a wonderful shopping solution for our customer," she said. And that is exactly what KIWW sets out to do – provide solutions to busy moms.
The brand now includes a number of products, including socks, apparel, window coverings, top of bed, furniture and candles, just to name a few.
Ireland said the company is also now discussing doing contract work.
KIWW went international five years ago and the brand is sold in over 50,000 locations in 14 countries.
"There are moms all over the world who need solutions and we're open to working in any country where these women want and desire solutions."
Ireland said she's heard from many women who don't know if they'll be able to travel to many places they would like to, so she sets out to give them those experiences with her designs. Her style guides include lines such as "Aloha," "Ivory Coast," and "Far East Dreams."
These "style guides" take the stress and anxiety out of decorating rooms by offering the same theme throughout all aspects of room decoration.
Ireland said she takes a very "hands-on" approach to design and gives credit to her team members, many of whom have masters degrees in fine arts. She said they also use focus groups and raw materials from around the world to generate design ideas.
Ireland also takes the time to meet personally with her vendors, and said "it's those relationships, communication, learning and listening to one another," that make things work and click.
"I'm listening to our customer and implementing what it is that she is asking, so we need to hear this across the board. I hear from her everyday and from our vendors. We need to know what their needs are. We need to serve them as well."
Ireland said they plan to attend as many trade fairs as possible, "but Heimtextil is one that is so critical for us. It's such an important show and we're so happy to be a part of it."
