Kathy Ireland Expands Her Licensing Empire In A Fashion Line With HSN

Kathy Ireland has proven to have the magic touch in anything she sets her mind and heart to. At 30 years old, following a career as a supermodel – she appeared on the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover three times in 1989, 1992, and 1994 – she was aging out of that profession and looking for something more sustainable and personally fulfilling.

So in 1993, she traded the glamor of modeling for something eminently practical and not what would be considered glamorous. She designed a line of performance socks with partner John Moretz, who owned the Gold Toe brand that is now part of Gildan. Those socks are still going strong after selling more than 100 million pairs and Moretz remains an advisor.

Despite an early foray into fashion with Kmart, it took a back seat to home furnishings after Warren Buffett told her that fashion changes, but the home remains more secure. Today home rakes in about 40% of revenues for kathy ireland World Wide – lower-case letters to distinguish the company from her person – across a business that now spans entertainment, weddings and resorts, insurance, real estate, telehealth and fintech.

Fashion brings in only about 8% of revenues, but now it’s fashion’s turn for some Kathy Ireland magic, and she is approaching it in a big way. She will appear on Qurate’s HSN television shopping platform on October 6 at 9 p.m. to introduce her first-ever line of outerwear developed with partner Bagatelle International. And it will be her first appearance in a medium where all her talents will shine, not the least of which is her sincerity.

“Beautiful people come in every shape, size, color and age. Our designs will address that,” she shared with me. HSN has been at the forefront of inclusive sizing with on-air models who actually look like real women, not idealized walking mannequins. HSN is the perfect partner for Ireland as she aims to help women of every shape, size, color and age realize their beauty.

“Our boss is busy moms, so we keep our ear to the ground, listen to our customers and develop products and services that will meet her needs,” she said, adding, “HSN is the premier platform to share the story around this line to the women we serve all over America.”

Ireland is a big win for HSN since the success of a television shopping brand depends on the chemistry between the presenter and the audience. And she is sure to connect with HSN viewers and bring in more besides.

Early on, she found that public appearances didn’t allow her to speak to her female customers directly. Rather, public appearances brought in hoards of men with well-thumbed copies of Sports Illustrated to autograph. On television, she will be able to talk directly to the women she hopes to serve.

Her first show will feature six outwear styles, all affordably priced from $129 for a faux leather topper to $189 for a wool trench coat offered in different color palettes and prints. The collection will be exclusive to HSN for 30 days and then available for other retailing partners, including Macy’s, online value retailer BHFO.com and kiWW direct-to-consumer website.

Chances are Ireland’s first appearance on HSN will sell out fast, but she will be ready with many other fashion offerings to keep forward momentum in HSN’s fashion presentations. Last year apparel was Qurate’s only growth category, up 10% across the combined QVCQVCA
and HSN channels to $1.3 billion, and it was the second largest category after home at $3.3 billion.

Waiting in the wings is more from Bagatelle, which has the license for denim and special occasion dressing with the same focus on inclusivity and quality. Others include Amerex for a swimwear line closely tied to Ireland’s image, lkeddi Enterprises with sportswear, pantsuits and daytime dresses, and longtime partner, PPI Apparel Group, presents intimates, shapewear and shapewear and sleepwear.

Ireland has big plans for fashion, with the goal for it to account for 20% of kiWW revenue within 24 months.

What may look from the outside as a celebrity slapping her name on something to get royalty payments is quite different for Ireland and her team, which now numbers over 100 employees.

“The way we approach licensing is different from many other companies,” Ireland shared. “As a result, our company is odd-shaped because we do things in a different way. Everything we do is pretty much unprecedented.”

“It’s really shocking to read licensing agreements for other companies where there is greater concern for royalty payments than in doing right by the people making the products and how products get to market. My prayer is that there are more brands whose passion is improving the human condition than just getting an economic return. That’s how I define success,” she continued.

Ireland is a committed Christian who manages her company guided by her firmly held Judeo-Christan values. But she doesn’t beat the Bible over anyone’s head; rather she quietly lives out its principles of doing good to all.

“When I was a child, we would take trips to Tijuana, where I saw firsthand the exploitation of people. My dad worked with Cesar Chavez, who fought for migrant farm workers. As a result, we weren’t allowed to eat grapes at home,” she quipped.

“At kathy ireland Worldwide, we believed in giving back and doing good long before ESG [environmental, social and governance] was on anybody’s radar,” she continued.

Her humanitarian and human rights advocacy work is legendary. She has spoken before the United Nations for human rights. UCLA recognized her as one of the top ten women’s health advocates in the country, and she is a major donor and ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS foundation. Plus, last year, she was honored by the International Religious Freedom Award. The list goes on and on.

“There is so much good to be done, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. We see the needs that are so much bigger than we are, and yet we see the opportunities that are bigger than that. The way we approach it is by giving back. We have seen how we can make a difference,” she said.

She has also mastered profit and non-profit partnerships. For example, Ireland is on the board of directors of telehealth medicine Let’s Talk Interactive (LTI). Initially, they focused on supporting kathy ireland Recovery Centers providing substance abuse outpatient treatment regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. And now, they are bringing telehealth services to areas across the country and the world where affordable, professional medical treatment is most needed.

Her humanitarian efforts are powered by the success of her business empire. And in that, she has been singularly successful.

Licensing Global named kiWW the 19th most powerful licensed brand and it is the only woman-led company in its top 20 list. And hers is the only individually-owed business there too.

And as a final footnote on Ireland’s business prowess, she’s appeared more often on the cover of Forbes than on Sports Illustrated.