Nourison and kathy ireland Worldwide Announce Licensing Agreement

SADDLE BROOK, N.J., April 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Nourison has entered into a licensing agreement with kathy ireland Worldwide for a floor covering partnership. This licensing agreement includes the brands kathy ireland Home as well as kathy ireland Designs Jardin by Nicholas Walker, kathy ireland Designs ACafe Society by Chef Andre, and Kathleen Marie. In addition, Nourison will be creating decorative accessories under this agreement.

"It is exciting for everyone at kathy ireland Worldwide to join Alex and the incredible team at Nourison, to develop beautiful flooring and accents for homes, offices and the hospitality communities. We considered no other company for this category. Under Alex's keen vision and direction, Nourison is a world leader in fashion. As our brand continues to grow, we are actively seeking the finest global partners in each category. Nourison enjoys an unequaled level of respect and appreciation from designers and the people who chart the course of fashion. We want the home furnishings industry to know, that our pursuit of this partnership is very important to our strategic plan, of building equity in fashion and growing from good, to better and best at retail. Our collaboration of kathy ireland Home by Nourison, is an expression of great confidence in the integrity and leadership offered by the great house of Nourison and their extraordinary taste, at price points that address various retail partners," said Kathy Ireland, CEO and Chief Designer of kathy ireland Worldwide.

"Nourison is thrilled to be partnering with such an exciting leader in the home furnishings industry," said Alex Peykar, Principal of Nourison. "An award-winning designer, Kathy Ireland heads up the 25th most powerfully licensed brand globally and is one of the 50 most influential women in the United States. She is a true expert in this field. We are confident that together Nourison and Kathy Ireland will create a dynamic, fashion forward and highly successful duo of home design."

Nourison will offer a preview of the new product line during the High Point Market from April 20-25, in our showroom at InterHall IH101.

About Nourison

Nourison is a leading global floor covering company that produces extensive collections of virtually every category of rugs and high-end carpets. A fully vertically integrated company, Nourison oversees almost every aspect of the manufacturing process from wool spinning to dyeing, weaving and finishing. Supported by an unparalleled dealer system, Nourison has become the leading multi-product resource in the floor covering industry in the United States and Europe with permanent showrooms in New Jersey, New York, Atlanta, Las Vegas, High Point and Zurich. For further details, visit www.nourison.com.

About kathy ireland Worldwide

kathy ireland Worldwide® (kiWW®) is the design and marketing firm founded in 1993 by Chair, CEO and Chief Designer, Kathy Ireland. The mission statements of kiWW® are

"...finding solutions for families, especially busy moms,"^™

"...finding solutions for people in love,"^™

and

"finding solutions for people in business."^™

Forbes Magazine reports that "Kathy Ireland is the first lady of fly over country." License Global Magazine names kathy ireland Worldwide® the 25th most powerfully licensed brand globally and reports that annual retail sales have grown to 1.9 billion dollars. According to Fairchild Publications, Kathy Ireland is one of the 50 most influential people in fashion. kathy ireland Worldwide® offers creativity in Home, Office, Weddings, Baby Products, Fashion, Fine Jewelry, Destination Properties, Publishing, Entertainment and More...

Kathy is celebrated for her philanthropy. UCLA names Kathy one of the Top 10 Women's Health Advocates in America today. She is a powerful activist for veterans, ADL, the war against HIV/AIDS, anti-poverty efforts, education, and family issues with a specific focus for women and children. Kathy is global ambassador to 911 for Kids, a global outreach committed to disaster preparedness and emergency response. Kathy is married to Gregory Olsen, an emergency physician and CEO of a commercial fishing enterprise. Kathy, Greg and their three children Erik, Lily and Chloe live in Southern California.

Kathy's initial mission statement, "...finding solutions for families, especially busy moms,"^™ allows her company to expand and include, "...finding solutions for people in love,"^™ and "...finding solutions for people in business."^™ In 2012, a cover story in Forbes Magazine reported that kiWW® sells, "...some 2 billion in retail..." and calls Kathy, "Supermodel...Supermogul." License Global Magazine names kathy ireland Worldwide®, the 28th most powerfully licensed brand globally—which is the highest ranking for any single lifestyle brand. According to Fairchild Publications, Kathy Ireland is one of the 50 most influential people in fashion. Kathy is named by UCLA as one of the Top 10 Women's Health Advocates in America. She was honored by the Anti Defamation League and is an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (LHD), from CSU Channel Islands.


Kathy supports countless non-profits including: the YWCA, the Dream Foundation, The Providence Educational Foundation, 911 for Kids/AEFK, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She is widely honored for her efforts to improve education, reduce poverty and help families prosper. In March of 2012, Kathy was a key speaker for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, with such luminaries as Prime Minister Shimon Peres and President Barack Obama—to show her support of Israel.

kathy ireland Worldwide® offers designs in furniture, lighting, flooring, fashion—including best-selling collections of bridal gowns, special occasion dresses and fine jewelry. Kathy is also Chief Designer for Window World, America's largest window replacement company. kiWW's business interests include: kathy ireland Weddings, resort weddings for destination nuptials in Hawaii and California; ACafe Chef Andre, a food, entertaining and lifestyle brand; Jardin Nicholas Walker, a brand inspired by outdoor living; and Sterling Winters Company, an artist management firm. 
Kathy is the author of six books: 'Powerful Inspirations, Eight Lessons that Will Change Your Life,' 'Real Solutions for Busy Moms: Your Guide To Success and Sanity,' 'Real Solutions for Busy Moms Devotional: 52-God Inspired Messages for Your Heart,' 'What Do Mommies Do?,' 'An Angel Called Hope' and 'Mona's Favorite Words.'

kiWW® maintains headquarters in Rancho Mirage, California and design studios in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Santa Barbara and two in Hawaii. Additional information is available at kathyireland.com.

SOURCE kathy ireland