Kathleen Ireland was scouted at her high school at the age of 16 by Elite Model Management. She quickly established herself as one of the world’s most renowned supermodels and has appeared on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, and Mademoiselle. With the experience she gained from her modeling career, it is no surprise that she went on to wear many more hats and now sits atop an empire worth $500 million.
By 1993, Ireland had been modeling for over a decade and was ready to make a change. It all began when she was asked to model a pair of socks, but she had a different idea: going into business with the company to make and sell Kathy Ireland branded socks. It was then that kathy ireland Worldwide (kiWW) – yes, the lowercase is intentional – was born.
The growth of kiWW wasn’t guaranteed and wasn’t always on an upward trajectory. In its early years, the company primarily sold women’s clothing at Kmart, its only retail partner. When kiWW filed for bankruptcy in 2002, it was the largest retail bankruptcy in history. “People thought we were done,” Ireland said of the setback. On the advice of her mentor and friend, Warren Buffett, kiWW was able to pivot and enter the home furnishings business.
What started off as a line of branded socks has, nearly 3 decades later, led to an impressive array of over 19,000 products. “Respectfully, I don’t dabble,” she has said, “I expand.” With a list of products that includes handbags, sunglasses, sleepwear, lighting, furniture, rugs, luggage, flooring, books for adults and children, pet accessories, wall art, and much, much more, it is clear that she is serious about expansion.
In addition to a vast and flourishing business empire, Ireland is heavily invested in philanthropic work. Her activities have included pro bono work for the non-profit organizations March of Dimes, PTA, Feed the Children, and City of Hope. She has also recently begun fighting against the economic impact of COVID-19 by providing assistance for 20,000-plus retail outlets around the world through the Kathy Ireland Small Business Network. Currently, she is the host of Worldwide Business with Kathy Ireland, an independently produced show appearing on Bloomberg Television.