Chris Madden (designer)

Madden was born Annchristine Casson in Rockville Centre Long Island to Ann Marie Casson and Edward Casson. One of nine children, she learned to sew from her mother and often visited her father's office in Manhattan. At age six, she appeared in Mademoiselle Magazine, and continued modelling in print-ads and catalogs.[2]

After graduating from St. Agnes High School, Madden was given a full scholarship to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Soon after she worked in the photography department of Sports Illustrated.[3] She later worked in the publicity departments at publishers Random House, G.P. Putnam & Son, and Farrar Straus and Groux.[4]

She met husband Kevin Madden, publisher of House and Garden, Self, and Bon Appetit magazines, in the early 1970s.[5]

Chris Madden started her own public relations firm in 1976, and then started writing books on decorating and show houses. After her early books such as Interior Visions (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1988), Rooms with a View (PBC International, 1992), and Kitchens (Clarkson Potter, 1993), Madden was selected by HGTV as one of their first four hosts. Her show Interiors by Design ran for eight seasons (1995-2003).[6] In 1997, she became the design correspondent on The Oprah Winfrey Show.[7] The same year, Madden's A Room of Her Own was published by Clarkson Potter. It sold over 100,000 copies and went into 11 printings.[8]

In 1998, Madden launched a furniture line with Bassett Furniture Co, after originally being approached to as a spokesperson. After two years in development, a 70-piece Chris Madden line launched in 2000. By 2002, the line had sold over 100 million dollars worth of product. This success with Bassett led to licensing deals with Austin Candles and Mohawk Flooring.[9]

In 2003, JCPenney announced their partnership with Chris Madden. Madden served as Penney's home collection spokeswoman and design expert. She developed and designed a line of products that launched in 2004.[10] There were 675 items in the launch, the largest in Penney's history.[11] Madden's book Haven: Finding the Key to Your Personal Decorating Style (Clarkson Potter) was released at the same time. By 2005, her JCPenney collection had expanded to two-thousand pieces.[12]

Madden began Project Katrina in 2007 to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. Four homes in Pass Christian Mississippi were furnished with JCPenney products from Madden's personal warehouse.[13] Madden's philanthropy continued in 2008 when she partnered with Blue Star Mothers of America in Operation Cozy Comfort - replacing regulation army blankets with Chris Madden plush blankets from JCPenney.[14]

In 2010, Madden was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she will serve until 2015.[15] The same year, Madden's newest design book The Soul of a House - Decorating with Warmth, Style and Comfort was published by Rizzoli International.[16]