Vaughan sets Ireland line
By Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, March 9, 2009
GALAX, Va. — The new Kathy Ireland Home from Vaughan Furniture case goods line will launch this April with 180 SKUs spread out over seven groups.
Four of the groups will have a combination of bedroom, dining room or youth, and three others have bedroom, dining room, youth and occasional.
Four groups fall under Kathy Ireland's Americana Style Guide, and three are under the company's European Country Style Guide. Some groups also have multiple finish options, said David Vaughan, senior executive vice president.
The companies announced their multi-year partnership on Feb. 25. News of the partnership followed a recent announcement that Kathy Ireland Worldwide has ended its long-time relationship with case goods importer and manufacturer Standard Furniture. Both companies indicated that the split was amicable.
The April product introductions are what Vaughan and Kathy Ireland Worldwide consider a soft launch. Sourced from China, Indonesia and Vietnam, a larger introduction is planned for October and will cover other styles that fall under the Kathy Ireland brand.
The planned April product mix will include suites that Vaughan has been working on in recent months. Once the partnership agreement was signed between both parties, Kathy Ireland's design team offered its own design expertise, thus allowing those groups to bear signature elements and motifs of the Kathy Ireland brand.
“We wanted to make as big an impact as possible with Kathy's brand name and awareness in the field,” Vaughan said. “We felt the timing was right to put the effort into this, but they made it easier. They are really good people. It is a big undertaking to get all these samples made.”
Kathy Ireland said she was pleased to be working with Vaughan Furniture, which has manufacturing experience dating back to 1923. In particular, she is pleased with the quality of Vaughan's designs and finishes as well as its use of solids and veneers.
She also appreciates Vaughan's attention to the needs of the consumer, a philosophy that mirror's her own company's mission.
“I am thrilled with the quality, craftsmanship and integrity of the Vaughan team,” she said. “They are so embracing of our in-house design team…It is absolutely exciting to know that they get it and understand how we work.”
Vaughan “really understands our customers' needs,” she added, noting that the company designs products based on individualized customer needs, incorporating elements such as storage in an elegant and fashionable way. “They are leaders in the industry, and they are a company of great integrity. I have great respect for this team.”
Taylor Vaughan, president and CEO of Vaughan Furniture, said he and his company look forward to working with the team at Kathy Ireland Worldwide to “implement the innovative designs and creative solutions KIWW brings to the market in so many areas of product design, with a particular impact in the home and furniture industries.
“Kathy Ireland Worldwide has a global reputation for fashion, quality, value, safety, solutions and beauty of design in the home industry,” Vaughan added. “KIWW has cultivated a spectacular dominance as a brand name in dozens of product fields by adhering to the company's mission statement — 'finding solutions for families, especially busy moms.' ”
In preparation for the April High Point Market, Vaughan Furniture will rework several sections of its Plaza Suites showroom to showcase the new Kathy Ireland collections. It also plans to accessorize those areas with other Kathy Ireland-branded products such as lighting and carpets.
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Kathy Ireland taps Vaughan Furniture for case goods
Feb 25, 2009
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