Thousands of beautiful women get scouted to become models every year. Only one of them has ever become a worldwide business empire, and that's Kathy Ireland. Ireland's story started in 1979 when she was spotted as a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl by a modeling agency. Before long she'd appeared in 'Vogue,' 'Cosmopolitan' and 'Mademoiselle.'
She spent the 1980s as a model, but a model like no other who had come before her. Ireland appeared in 13 consecutive issues of 'Sportswear Illustrated.' In 1989, her iconic bikini shot was voted the greatest in the history of the publication. Her fame saw her break into the movie business, appearing in 'Alien from L.A' and 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' towards the end of the decade. Neither film was well received by critics, but Ireland would go on to have the last laugh.