Botanica by LABS Teams Up With Kathy Ireland Home To Produce Permanent Florals and More

Furniture World Magazine

Botanica by LABS recently announced that it has entered into an agreement with Kathy Ireland Worldwide, the design and marketing company founded by Lifestyle Designer, Kathy Ireland for the manufacture of permanent florals, foliage, trees, holiday florals and keepsake ornaments that will be distributed as Kathy Ireland Home by LABS. Kathy will serve as Chief Designer. “We were certainly aware of the enormous success of the Kathy Ireland Brand,” shares Stew Aaron, president, Kathy Ireland Home by LABS. “But as we continued to work with Kathy and her team it became clear that her mission of finding solutions for families, especially busy moms was the cornerstone of that success. The passion and dedication that Kathy displays in her unwavering commitment to that mission is staggering and something I knew we wanted to be a part of,” adds Aaron. “Kathy’s unique design philosophy and Style Guides offer us an unprecedented opportunity to expand our product assortment,” shares Andy Schwartz, vice-president, Kathy Ireland Home by LABS. “Kathy’s design, trend and color inspiration from around the globe poises us to bring truly creative, beautiful and affordable products to market.” “We’re so excited to partner with the amazing team at Botanica by LABS,” shares Kathy. “Their eager embrace of our mission and their commitment to serving families and producing wonderful products is very important to us. Permanent florals provide a wonderful solution for home decorating. Everyone can have exquisite floral arrangements and greenery everyday.” explains Kathy. “This exciting new partnership will change our overall design direction and strengthen our position at retail,” states Aaron. “With the Kathy Ireland Brand’s strong awareness and brand equity in the marketplace, we intend to bring many wonderful innovations and creative design styles to today’s families under the Kathy Ireland Home brand that will serve our retail partners.” continues Aaron. “We’re committed to making our retailers the destination for busy moms,” added Kathy. “As we continue adding strategic alignments with industry leaders such as Botanica by LABS, our retail partners have a broader range of options available in putting together a complete home experience that is everything mom needs to develop a wonderful environment for her family,” further explained Kathy. Kathy Ireland Home by LABS will also unveil collections for each of Kathy’s specialty Brands. Acafe by Chef Andre Carthen, J du J cultivated by landscape designer Nicholas Walker and the Quilts of Gee’s Bend. “These collections will have a completely unique point of view. Chef Andre and Nicholas Walker have brought much inspiration and design direction from the great cafes and gardens around the world,” explains Kathy. “Our most exciting and challenging collaboration will be in translating the brilliant artistry found in the Quilts of Gee’s Bend into permanent florals. The initial concepts are just beautiful.” further adds Kathy. Kathy Ireland Home by LABS joins an already impressive collection of branding partnerships that Ireland strategically aligned beginning in 1998. Today those partnerships include Shaw Living and Shaw Inc. the world’s largest floor covering manufacturer, Kathy Ireland Home by Standard furniture manufactures case goods, leather and micro fiber and carries Furniture Today’s Manufacturer of the Year award. Pacific Coast lighting produces America’s most successful and highest quality lighting. Pacific Coast Accessories provides home accessories. Kathy Ireland Home by Alta manufactures custom window coverings. Kathy Ireland Home by Martin produces Home office, wall systems and home theater. Kamenstein, a division of Lifetime Hone, distributes tabletop. Top of bed products for the Brand are manufactured by Kathy Ireland Home by Arrow Home Fashions. Kathy, in concert with her Brand Partners, produces more than 10,000 collaboratively designed SKUS in an array of lifestyle products that carry her design philosophy, trend direction and coordinated color palettes. These products celebrate global influences through Kathy’s innovative Style Guides™. Kathy Ireland Home by LABS is tentatively scheduled to debut an extensive array of permanent florals, foliage and trees in April 2005 at the High Point International Home Furnishings Market. This collection will debut with over 400 separate SKUS. The company will import product from around the world and assemble, package and ship from their 70,000 square foot factory in Atlanta, GA. About Kathy Ireland: Kathy is CEO and Chief Designer of Kathy Ireland Worldwide in Los Angeles, California. She began her company over 10 years ago with the mission of “finding solutions for families, especially busy moms.” By staying true to her commitment, she’s been recognized as a “best friend to working mothers” by the Associated Press and London Times. Kathy’s home design efforts include furniture, flooring, rugs, lighting, wall art, decorative accessories, home office and home theatre, table top, bedding, top of bed and window coverings. There are now well over 10,000 pieces that carry Kathy’s design philosophy and direction. Kathy’s Home Collection received “Best of Market” honors and the Good Housekeeping Seal. ACafe by Chef Andre Carthen, J du J cultivated by landscape designer, Nicholas Walker and the Quilts of Gee’s Bend are Kathy Ireland Home solutions. Her outdoor living efforts earned the Gold Medal at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. She is also the recipient of Outstanding Mother of the Year from the National Mother’s Day Committee and has been honored for her entrepreneurial efforts by the National Association of Women Business Owners and National Association of Business Leaders. Kathy is on the Board of Directors for the Tupelo Furniture Marketing Association and a member of Women in the Home Industries Today. For more information, please visit www.kathyireland.com About Botanica by LABS The Botanica Collection of permanent florals, foliage and trees is uniquely designed to meet the latest fashion trends and interior decorating needs. Handcrafted with top quality materials by highly skilled artisans in Atlanta, Georgia, using the newest colors, textures and fabrics, Botanica is setting today’s fashion trends with dramatic styling and natural opulence. Designs are so vibrant, so elegant, that they are the ultimate decorating accessories, complimenting furnishings while adding a special personality to the interior design.