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Katherine Marie Ireland is considered by many to be the world's first supermodel. At age 17, this tall (5' 11") "California girl" was discovered by an Elite Modeling talent scout and no sooner did she graduate from high school than she was flying to Europe for major magazine photo shoots. However, it was Kathy's appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 1984 Swimsuit Edition that launched her career into the stratosphere.
This was, as they say, only the beginning. She appeared on three additional covers of Sports Illustrated and has been featured in the magazine more than any other model - a total of 13 times. Of course Kathy was a major part of the publication's 25th Anniversary Special in 1989. Many other fashion magazines sought the services of Kathy Ireland and she appeared on the covers of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, Shape, Seventeen and Harper's Bazaar, among others. You could even find her face on a box of Cheerios!
Somehow in between photo shoots Kathy managed to find time to appear in several motion pictures and television programs. She has also created several very popular fitness videos and even became a certified fitness instructor in 1994.
In the early 1990s Kathy began her transition from model to mogul. She wanted to help busy moms find products and solutions to help improve their lives. Being a new mom herself, Kathy felt she had a perspective that she could apply to a wide range of consumer products. She also soon discovered that she was going to have to create many of them herself.
Thus was born Kathy Ireland Worldwide (KIWW), of which Kathy Ireland is the chief executive, chief designer and chief product tester. Annual sales currently exceed $1.4 billion and the company's product line is expanding rapidly. Kathy's website, www.kathyireland.com, is a good place to go for ideas and "solutions" related to home, fashion, entertainment and lifestyle.
Kathy is active in a wide range of non-profit organizations and charitable causes. She is an ambassador for the National Women's Cancer Research Alliance and honorary chairperson for the March of Dimes Walk America program.
Kathy Ireland teamed with Shaw Floors to create a comprehensive line of area rugs, marketed under the Kathy Ireland Home brand. There are eight different collections that run the gamut from rich, elegant, traditional styles to brightly colored, whimsical designs. They are among the most popular area rugs available at Rugs Direct and are highly affordable.
These eight collections are:
- Aloha
- Essentials
- First Lady
- Gallery
- Gee's Bend
- Innovations
- Jardin Du Jour
- Young Attitudes
If you would like to explore the exciting styles of area rugs created by Kathy Ireland, please click here to visit Rugs Direct.
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