Kathy Ireland, right and landscape designer Nicholas Walker, who leads her Jardin du Jour line will bring their designs and brand power to Florabundance. (Photo: Business Wire)

She won't be designing in a swimsuit, but former Sports Illustrated cover girl Kathy Ireland is hoping to make a splash and turn some heads with her latest brand extension into the flower business. The marketing and merchandising force of Kathy Ireland Worldwide that's put its signature on home furniture, lighting and even maternity wear is now partnering with Florabundance of Carpinteria, Calif.

Under the new partnership, known as Kathy Ireland Designs by Florabundance, Ireland will feature designs using more than 850 Florabundance flowers on her solutions-oriented Web site, most likely in the channels where landscaping is already featured. With her "seal of approval," interior designers, freelance designers and retail florists can use the store locator on the site to find Florabundance, says Joost Bongaerts, president of the wholesaler, adding that the site will not sell direct to consumers. Having witnessed the collaboration between Ireland and interior designers, chefs, furniture makers and stylists, Bongaerts saw a natural fit for flowers — and a local connection to capitalize on. Ireland, like 65 percent of Florabundance's flowers, is a product of Santa Barbara. "I just approached the group, did a presentation and found out they were interested in working with us," he says.

The super model turned super mogul, a metamorphosis that's won her attention well beyond Sports Illustrated and into the pages of Business Week and Forbes, has an online gardening lifestyle channel. The green-thumbed guru there, Nicholas Walker, recently snagged the gold medal at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show.

Bongaerts says upcoming plans might include flower bulb and fresh cut assortments to further support the model-mom's tagline of "finding solutions for families, especially busy moms."

--Amanda Long
along@safnow.org

  

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