Style Maven Series: Kathy Ireland

Kathy Ireland is known to many as the face (and body) of Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and model through the decade of the 1980's. To me she is the ultimate MOMpreneur and Mogul.

She started her company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide in 1993 with a line of socks by Moretz. Now Ireland, who is the CEO, sells complete lines of clothing, home furnishings, books, exercise videos, flooring, lighting, and window treatments that are all meant to be stylish yet affordable for working women and mothers. Collaborating with other corporate partners, Ireland's $1.4 billion dollar (in annual gross sales) label offers 15,000 different products. Visit www.kathyireland.com

Most recently she has added a bridal collection of gowns and a line of hair extensions to her list. Her motto/vision: "finding solutions for families, especially busy moms.”™

Kathy is a married mother of 3 children and is one of the most generous and kind celebrities. She uses her time, money and resources to genuinely help others. This video is but a fraction of what she does and who she helps via her philanthropic efforts.

Philanthropic Work of Kathy Ireland - Click here for more home videos

I had the chance to ask Kathy my Style Maven Questions:

LISA: Can you describe your personal Style aesthetic AND attitude about fashion?

KATHY: Because in the last century, I worked as a model, my fashion aesthetic is eclectic. My passion for fashion comes from a desire to serve. So many women feel left out of the fashion world. My goal is to make fashion inclusive. Beauty lives in every shape, size, color and age. Lets celebrate that truth! When I designed my very first collection, there was a battle to include products for women to who larger in size. That made me furious. Why should choices be limited? There is no shame in weight gain. When my weight is higher than I wanted to be… my fashion style doesn’t’ change. I always support body cooperative dressing. I love fabrics that flatter and forgive. I embrace my body and it’s curves. They are God given. I love color. I wear beige, but it’s not my passion. If the outfit is beige… accessorize with bold jewelry, tops of color from hand bag to shoes and scarf! Whatever your size or shape, please, don’t be afraid of color. Colors make us radiant. Don’t ever try to use fashion to make yourself disappear. Love your body as it is and never hide, be proud of who you are. That doesn’t mean, we can’t always be healthier and make progress… but, love yourself as you are, starting now.

LISA: What are the key components / pieces in your closet?

KATHY: Jeans with a touch of lycra… a blazer, a simple white dress, a vintage sweater coat and colorful blouses that will take me anywhere at any time. I love to layer. Sometimes I’ll wear a blouse over a dress to give it a jacket feel. Jewelry, handbags and shoes change everything. I have some cherished clothing and accessories that are vintage and precious. A boa, a 1920’s dress that makes me feel as though I just walked out of a George Hurrell portrait and again, our collection of jewelry and hand bags which freshened everything, and I always have pairs and pairs of socks. In boots, socks are so comfortable!

LISA: How do you feel about Vintage Clothing and Accessories?

KATHY: You already know I love vintage. I adore it! We cannot have an appreciation for that which is new, without paying respect to vintage. Timeless. Classic. Inspiring. Forever. Those are the adjectives that vintage congers up for me. You will always find vintage inspiration in everything I design.

LISA: What are your favorite Vintage pieces (Clothing and/or Accessories)? Do you only wear designer vintage?

KATHY: I wear vintage wherever I find it. I love mixing it with things that are new. As I said at the beginning, my fashion style is eclectic. Long live vintage and hopefully our designs today will become vintage tomorrow. Thank you so much for walking with me on twitter and allowing me to participate in your glorious blog.

LISA: What are you wearing this fall? Tell our readers the key elements for your Fall/Winter wardrobe .

KATHY: Knit dresses, long sweaters, two belted cashmere coats, linen shirt and a few great pairs of jeans. I also love some short vintage, print dresses and our entire new collection of social occasion dresses from kathy ireland Weddings by 2be My favorite colors this season include… purple, olive green, beige, camel and jewelry to add that special sparkle.

Kathy also pulled Vintage items from her personal collection and supplied Evolution Revolution with these exclusive photographs. She is VERY Vintage Glam and reminds me of the silver screen siren Ava Gardner --

KATHY (Click on images to enlarge):

Here are some of Kathy's Looks:

Kathy you inspire MOMpreneurs and women worldwide with your dedication, hard work, style and kindness ~ A Mother, a Mogul and a MAVEN.

EVOLUTION VINTAGE'S PICKS FOR KATHY:

1960's sheath dress w ornate sleeves

VINTAGE Yves St Laurent (YSL) skirt

Vintage baby blue semi-metallic clutch

SHOP EVOLUTION VINTAGE