Kimora Lee Simmons
Encyclopedia
Kimora Lee Simmons is an American fashion model, and former president and Creative Director
for Phat Fashions.
. Her mother, Joanne Perkins, is Korean-born Japanese who later worked as a Social Security Administrator. She was adopted by an American serviceman during the Korean War
and she now goes by her own mother's Japanese name, Kyoko. Kimora's father, Vernon Whitlock Jr., is African American, has worked as a Federal Marshal, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigator, a bail bondsman, and is currently a barber
in St. Louis.
Growing up in the northern St. Louis suburb of Florissant, Missouri
, Kimora was the target of schoolyard bullying and teasing, because of her height (she was 5 feet, 10 inches tall by the time she was 10 years old) and mixed ancestry. To help her, Simmons's mother enrolled her in a modeling class when she was eleven years old. Two years later she was discovered by Marie-Christine Kollock (a representative for seminal Paris Agency Glamour) at a Model Search in Kansas City (organized by Kay Mitchell) and sent to Paris
.
Simmons is a graduate of Lutheran North High School
in St. Louis, Missouri.
and went to work under the tutelage of Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld
. She quickly gained attention in the fashion world when she closed Lagerfeld's haute couture
show in 1989. "Everything people thought was weird about me before", Kimora told People Weekly, "was now good".
In 2004, Russell Simmons
sold Phat Farm
to Kellwood Company for $140 million. When Russell stepped down as CEO of Phat Fashions LLC in September 2007, Simmons—who was already Creative Director of Baby Phat
(which was a branch off Phat Farm Industries)—was promoted by Kellwood to President and Creative Director of Phat Fashions. It was her goal to fashion Baby Phat
, launched in 1999, into an "aspirational lifestyle brand". Her couture line, KLS, launched in Fall 2007.
A self-help book written by Simmons, Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It, was published by HarperEntertainment in February 2006. The book is set to function as a 'lifestyle manual' on everything from spirituality and finances to fashion and beauty. She has also launched five perfumes for women: Goddess, Golden Goddess, Seductive Goddess, Baby Phat Fabulosity, Love me, and the last fragrance she put out from her time with Baby Phat, Dare Me.
On September 1, 2010, Simmons parted ways with Baby Phat and its management company, Kellwood. The details as to why Simmons was removed as Creative Director haven't been very clear; some blog sites are claiming that it was because Simmons was spending too much money on company pursuits and giving far too much pay to herself and her children. Since the split, Simmons plans to launch her KLS collection and Kouture by Kimora Brands. She also has an exclusive brand coming to Macy's that will offer stylish clothes for under $40. On September 14, 2011, Simmons announced on her website that she is the new Creative Director and President of JustFabulous, a personalized shopping website.
, Brown Sugar, and Waist Deep
. She has also appeared in music videos for Ginuwine
and Usher
.
In 2003, Simmons signed on as one of the judges on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 1
. She was scheduled to return to the show as a judge starting with cycle 14. However, she changed her plans and did not return to the show as judge. She has been a co-host of Sony Television
's syndicated talk show Life & Style.
On August 5, 2007, season one of her reality TV show, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane
, premiered on Style Network
. The show chronicles her daily life and routine as a mother and then-CEO of Phat Fashions.
. They have two daughters; Ming Lee Simmons (born January 21st 2001) and Aoki Lee Simmons (born August 16th 2002). Kimora and Russell officially separated in March 2006. Although the couple had split some time before, they continued to live together up to this point.
In July 2004, Simmons was arrested and charged with reckless driving, eluding police, driving with a broken brake light, and marijuana possession after a two-mile chase that began near the Saddle River Police Station and ended outside her estate in Saddle River, New Jersey. On August 9, 2005, Simmons pled guilty to the reckless driving charge and was placed on six months probation.
By March 2007, Simmons was dating actor and model Djimon Hounsou
, and in March 2008, she filed for divorce from Russell. The divorce was finalized in January 2009.
In the summer of 2008, Simmons and Hounsou participated in a traditional Benin wedding ceremony, and in May 2009, their son, whom they named Kenzo Lee Hounsou was born.
She established the Kimora Lee Simmons Scholarship Fund at her high school alma mater in St. Louis to provide college tuition support for academically successful girls with financial needs and is an active member of youth advocacy organizations including Amfar, The G&P Foundation, Keep a Child Alive, Hetrick-Martin Institute and Rush Philanthropic where she is on the Board of Directors. The mayor of St. Louis presented Simmons the key to the city and named March 18, 2008 "Kimora Day" in St. Louis.
episode on February 22, 2010, contestant Jujubee
portrayed Kimora Lee Simmons in a Match Game
-like game show segment where contestants portrayed celebrities.
She and her work are referenced positively in the 2011 novel Popular
.
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
for Phat Fashions.
Early life
Simmons was born in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Her mother, Joanne Perkins, is Korean-born Japanese who later worked as a Social Security Administrator. She was adopted by an American serviceman during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and she now goes by her own mother's Japanese name, Kyoko. Kimora's father, Vernon Whitlock Jr., is African American, has worked as a Federal Marshal, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigator, a bail bondsman, and is currently a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
in St. Louis.
Growing up in the northern St. Louis suburb of Florissant, Missouri
Florissant, Missouri
Florissant is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northern St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city has a total population of 52,158 in 2010 census.-History:...
, Kimora was the target of schoolyard bullying and teasing, because of her height (she was 5 feet, 10 inches tall by the time she was 10 years old) and mixed ancestry. To help her, Simmons's mother enrolled her in a modeling class when she was eleven years old. Two years later she was discovered by Marie-Christine Kollock (a representative for seminal Paris Agency Glamour) at a Model Search in Kansas City (organized by Kay Mitchell) and sent to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Simmons is a graduate of Lutheran North High School
Lutheran High School North (Missouri)
Lutheran High School North is a parochial Christian school in St. Louis County, Missouri in the United States. It currently offers education in grades nine through twelve, and is associated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. It is a Christian, mission-driven school that is centered in Jesus...
in St. Louis, Missouri.
Fashion business
Just after her thirteenth birthday, Simmons was awarded an exclusive modeling contract with ChanelChanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
and went to work under the tutelage of Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
. She quickly gained attention in the fashion world when she closed Lagerfeld's haute couture
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
show in 1989. "Everything people thought was weird about me before", Kimora told People Weekly, "was now good".
In 2004, Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
sold Phat Farm
Phat Farm
Phat Farm is a national fashion line created by the vision of Russell Simmons, the founder of the modern day hip-hop movement, Phat Farm, a division of Phat Fashions , is symbol of men's contemporary American culture, mixing the urban aesthetics of the streets and the preppy culture of the Ivy...
to Kellwood Company for $140 million. When Russell stepped down as CEO of Phat Fashions LLC in September 2007, Simmons—who was already Creative Director of Baby Phat
Baby Phat
Baby Phat is an urban fashion line of clothing and other items for women and girls. Besides clothing, the brand also includes accessories for phones, jewelry, shoes and fragrances. It is the corporate "sibling" of the clothing brand Phat Farm created by Russell Simmons. Baby Phat uses a sleek cat...
(which was a branch off Phat Farm Industries)—was promoted by Kellwood to President and Creative Director of Phat Fashions. It was her goal to fashion Baby Phat
Baby Phat
Baby Phat is an urban fashion line of clothing and other items for women and girls. Besides clothing, the brand also includes accessories for phones, jewelry, shoes and fragrances. It is the corporate "sibling" of the clothing brand Phat Farm created by Russell Simmons. Baby Phat uses a sleek cat...
, launched in 1999, into an "aspirational lifestyle brand". Her couture line, KLS, launched in Fall 2007.
A self-help book written by Simmons, Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It, was published by HarperEntertainment in February 2006. The book is set to function as a 'lifestyle manual' on everything from spirituality and finances to fashion and beauty. She has also launched five perfumes for women: Goddess, Golden Goddess, Seductive Goddess, Baby Phat Fabulosity, Love me, and the last fragrance she put out from her time with Baby Phat, Dare Me.
On September 1, 2010, Simmons parted ways with Baby Phat and its management company, Kellwood. The details as to why Simmons was removed as Creative Director haven't been very clear; some blog sites are claiming that it was because Simmons was spending too much money on company pursuits and giving far too much pay to herself and her children. Since the split, Simmons plans to launch her KLS collection and Kouture by Kimora Brands. She also has an exclusive brand coming to Macy's that will offer stylish clothes for under $40. On September 14, 2011, Simmons announced on her website that she is the new Creative Director and President of JustFabulous, a personalized shopping website.
Film and television
Simmons has appeared in small roles in television and films including Beauty ShopBeauty Shop
Beauty Shop is a 2005 American comedy film, directed by Bille Woodruff. The film is a spin-off of the Barbershop film franchise, and stars Queen Latifah as Gina, a character which was first introduced in the 2004 film Barbershop 2: Back in Business...
, Brown Sugar, and Waist Deep
Waist Deep
Waist Deep is a 2006 drama-action film directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall, starring Tyrese Gibson and Meagan Good. It is loosely based on the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, including some similar subplots including the two main characters on the road, trying to avoid police, and committing bank...
. She has also appeared in music videos for Ginuwine
Ginuwine
Elgin Baylor Lumpkin , better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine had released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the late 1990's...
and Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
.
In 2003, Simmons signed on as one of the judges on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 1
America's Next Top Model, Cycle 1
America's Next Top Model was a reality show hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks that aimed to find someone who could be the next top fashion model. The cycle's catch-phrase was: "One Girl has what it takes."This was the only season to feature a cast of only 10 contestants...
. She was scheduled to return to the show as a judge starting with cycle 14. However, she changed her plans and did not return to the show as judge. She has been a co-host of Sony Television
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
's syndicated talk show Life & Style.
On August 5, 2007, season one of her reality TV show, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane
Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane
Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane is an American reality series that airs on the Style Network. The show premiered on the Style Network on August 5, 2007...
, premiered on Style Network
Style Network
The Style Network is an American cable television network based in Los Angeles.Owned by NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of General Electric and Comcast, its sister channels include E! Entertainment Television, USA Network, Syfy, G4, Golf Channel, and Versus, among others.-Network Overview:Style's...
. The show chronicles her daily life and routine as a mother and then-CEO of Phat Fashions.
Personal life
On December 20, 1998, Simmons married Russell SimmonsRussell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
. They have two daughters; Ming Lee Simmons (born January 21st 2001) and Aoki Lee Simmons (born August 16th 2002). Kimora and Russell officially separated in March 2006. Although the couple had split some time before, they continued to live together up to this point.
In July 2004, Simmons was arrested and charged with reckless driving, eluding police, driving with a broken brake light, and marijuana possession after a two-mile chase that began near the Saddle River Police Station and ended outside her estate in Saddle River, New Jersey. On August 9, 2005, Simmons pled guilty to the reckless driving charge and was placed on six months probation.
By March 2007, Simmons was dating actor and model Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Diaw Hounsou is a Beninese actor and model. As an actor, Hounsou has been nominated for two Academy Awards.-Early life:Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in 1964, to lbertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. He emigrated to Lyon in France at the age of thirteen with his brother, Edmond....
, and in March 2008, she filed for divorce from Russell. The divorce was finalized in January 2009.
In the summer of 2008, Simmons and Hounsou participated in a traditional Benin wedding ceremony, and in May 2009, their son, whom they named Kenzo Lee Hounsou was born.
She established the Kimora Lee Simmons Scholarship Fund at her high school alma mater in St. Louis to provide college tuition support for academically successful girls with financial needs and is an active member of youth advocacy organizations including Amfar, The G&P Foundation, Keep a Child Alive, Hetrick-Martin Institute and Rush Philanthropic where she is on the Board of Directors. The mayor of St. Louis presented Simmons the key to the city and named March 18, 2008 "Kimora Day" in St. Louis.
Cultural references
On the RuPaul's Drag RaceRuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...
episode on February 22, 2010, contestant Jujubee
Jujubee (drag queen)
Jujubee is an American drag queen and reality television personality from Boston, Massachusetts. He is best known as a contestant on Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race.-RuPaul's Drag Race:...
portrayed Kimora Lee Simmons in a Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
-like game show segment where contestants portrayed celebrities.
She and her work are referenced positively in the 2011 novel Popular
Gareth Russell (author)
Gareth Russell is a British author, best known for writing the novel Popular. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he attended Down High Grammar School from the age of eleven to eighteen. He later studied Modern History at the University of Oxford, attending St. Peter's College from 2005 to 2008...
.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | For Love or Money | Model | Alternative title: The Concierge |
| 1999 | The Big Tease The Big Tease The Big Tease is a 1999 comedy film starring Craig Ferguson, directed by Kevin Allen, and written by Ferguson and Sacha Gervasi.- Plot :Ferguson plays Crawford Mackenzie, a Scottish hairdresser who, while being filmed as part of a fly-on-the-wall documentary, is invited to the World Hairdresser... |
Dick Miyaki's Hair Model | |
| 2002 | Brown Sugar | Herself | |
| 2005 | Beauty Shop Beauty Shop Beauty Shop is a 2005 American comedy film, directed by Bille Woodruff. The film is a spin-off of the Barbershop film franchise, and stars Queen Latifah as Gina, a character which was first introduced in the 2004 film Barbershop 2: Back in Business... |
Denise | |
| 2005 | Rebound | Female Reporter #1 | |
| 2006 | Waist Deep Waist Deep Waist Deep is a 2006 drama-action film directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall, starring Tyrese Gibson and Meagan Good. It is loosely based on the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, including some similar subplots including the two main characters on the road, trying to avoid police, and committing bank... |
Fencing House Lady | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | For Your Love For Your Love (TV series) For Your Love is an American sitcom that premiered on March 17, 1998 on NBC. It was canceled after six episodes, but was picked up by The WB Network. It ran there for four years before its 2002 cancellation.-Synopsis:... |
Shamira | 1 episode |
| 2007–present | Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane is an American reality series that airs on the Style Network. The show premiered on the Style Network on August 5, 2007... |
Herself | |