At 60, Kathy Ireland has established herself as one of America’s richest self-made women with her licensing brand, “Kathy Ireland Worldwide” (KIWW), which generated retail sales of $3.1 billion in 2021.
But according to the former supermodel, she’s only just getting started.
In August, Ireland was honored on Forbes’ and Know Your Value’s 3rd annual “50 Over 50” U.S. list, which celebrates women who have found success later in life, and have shattered age and gender norms.
Ireland spoke to “Morning Joe” reporter Daniela Pierre-Bravo at a luncheon in New York City this past fall honoring the women who made that list. Ireland detailed her journey from modeling to building a massive brand empire, and reflects on what she wishes she knew during that pivotal transition.
“The advice that I would give my younger self is don’t ever do anything half measure, don’t assume anything — get the information — and really take the time to get to know people well,” she told Pierre-Bravo.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Ireland graced the covers of magazines like Vogue and Mademoiselle, once appearing in 13 consecutive swimsuit issues of “Sports Illustrated.” But while her career as an elite model grew, she admitted she saw it only as a means to an end.
“Going from modeling to business, I didn’t look at it as a pivot because modeling was not part of my plan,” she said. “It was an opportunity that came up, I believed it could help me pay for college or start a business … The entire time I worked as a model I was trying and failing businesses — I look at failure as education — so in that respect, I’m very well educated.”
By 1993, Ireland had been modeling for a decade and was ready to step into business full-time. So, when she was asked to model a pair of socks, she countered with a different idea. She wanted to make and sell Kathy Ireland branded socks. After selling 100 million pairs, Kmart signed a deal with Ireland to create her own clothing line. Eventually, she parted ways with the department store chain and became a global licensor with the launch of “Kathy Ireland Worldwide.”
Her company — which now sells everything from clothes, to luggage, to home goods, insurance and more — has exploded. In 2022, Women’s Wear Daily called KIWW the most valuable female-owned licensing firm in American history. That same year, Ireland was also inducted into the Licensing Hall of Fame.
“I’m grateful for every lesson, especially those that I learned the hard way,” she said. “I don’t want to make the same mistake twice,” she told Pierre-Bravo. “And no, I would say I didn’t have fear — there’s been really difficult times for certain — but I just I don’t allow fear to have a place in my life.”
That resolve has led her to explore new ventures, such as a foray into the documentary world last year, executive producing “Anxious Nation,” which examines the anxiety epidemic affecting America’s youth.
Kathy Ireland: ‘Women do not have an expiration date’
And with every success she’s notched along the way, Ireland proves that women can achieve their greatest accomplishments and have their maximum impact well over 50.
“The biggest myth on aging for many women is society can make us feel like we have less value as we get older — the opposite is true,” she explained. “I love getting older and I would never go back — not even a day — because there’s so much to learn, and I’m growing in every area of my life.”
In recent years that growth has included philanthropic pursuits associated with the company. Her credit card processing arm, Ireland Pay, donates a piece of every transaction fee collected to various non-profit foundations and charities to help improve local communities.
“I feel like we’re just getting started, there’s so much to accomplish, we’re living in really difficult times, so now more than ever, when we experience the suffering that’s going on around the world, we’ve got a lot to accomplish,” Ireland said.
“I’ve been exposed to challenges that are bigger than me and opportunities that are bigger than me, so what a gift to be able to come together with brilliant women [on the Forbes “50 Over 50” list] and together, figure out how can we respond, make a positive difference?”
Bianca Brosh