Jan 22, 2013

Eartha Kitt’s Unexpected Philosophies Inspire Modern Lifestyle Brand

What you might not have known about legendary celebrity Eartha Kitt is now revealed in a new lifestyle brand established by Kitt Shapiro, the daughter of the famous star.

“People may be shocked to learn the amazingly fundamental, holistic lifestyle and easy living philosophies of my mother,” Shapiro explained. “Establishing the Simply Eartha brand is my tribute to my mother and a way to share the wonderfully beautiful organic and humble way of life that my mother lived, taught and exemplified.”

The Simply Eartha brand, which will start with the launch of home décor items that utilize the images, writings and wisdom of Eartha Kitt, is designed by Shapiro to communicate her mother’s style and empowering messages. Using the images and likeness of Eartha Kitt helps to acquaint consumers with the brand. However Shapiro will evolve the brand to include products that do not necessarily use images or writings of her mother, but they will represent the elemental principles that Eartha Kitt lived and shared with her daughter.

Eartha, her given name, was very ahead of her time, living a ‘green’ lifestyle before it was chic. She recycled everything and had organic fruit and vegetable gardens throughout her entire life. In addition, she maintained her signature voice and shapely physique through a personal fitness regiment which included daily running, weight training and stretching.

About Simply Eartha:
Simply Eartha honors Eartha Kitt with products that have her artistic sensibility, using natural, recycled and uniquely crafted materials. These high style products are made in the U.S.A. and offer a real connection to the past with a modern appeal. Future products in the line will be marketed with and without the image of Eartha Kitt, but the entire line will be created in her signature style. For additional information visit www.simplyeartha.com and for the most up-to-date interactive activity about the brand, experience Simply Eartha on its social media outlets: Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

About Eartha Kitt:
Eartha Kitt purred and pounced her way across Broadway stages, recording studios and movie and television screens in a career that lasted more than six decades. She was born Eartha Mae Kitt on a cotton plantation in South Carolina on Jan. 17, 1927, a date she did not know until about 10 years ago, when she challenged students at Benedict College in Columbia, SC to find her birth certificate, which they did.

She was the illegitimate child of an African American/Cherokee mother and a white father about whom Ms. Kitt knew little. Because of her skin color, she was referred to as a ‘yella gal’ and had a difficult upbringing, but her experience brought with it an earnest philosophy that was well documented in every aspect of her life.

At eight years old she was sent to live in Harlem with her aunt. Her show-business break came on a lark, when a friend dared her to audition for the Katherine Dunham Dance Company. She passed the audition and permanently escaped the cycle of poverty and abuse that defined her life until then. Orson Welles cast her opposite him in his production of ‘Faust’ and subsequently called her “The most exciting woman in the world”. She was among the first widely known African-American sex symbols and her signature highlight will always be her recording of “Santa Baby.” She was married to Bill McDonald, a real-estate developer, from 1960 to 1965 during which time, their daughter, Kitt, was born. Her career has often been said to have had “nine lives.”Appropriately, she was tapped to play Catwoman in the 1960s TV series “Batman.” For all the camp appeal and sexually charged hauteur of Ms. Kitt’s concert performances, she also played serious roles, appearing in films and making numerous television appearances.

In 1978 she earned her first Tony nomination for her work in the Broadway show, “Timbuktu!” In 2000 she received her second Tony nomination, for best featured actress in a musical in “The Wild Party.” Her uniquely identifiable voice won her two Emmy Awards as outstanding performer in an animated program for her role as the scheming empress-wannabe villain, Yzma, in Disney’s “The Emperor’s New School.”

She died Christmas Day 2008 of colon cancer, at the age of 81.