Biography for kimora lee simmons
Simmons, Kimora Lee
1975—
Model, fashion dealing executive, entrepreneur
A towering 6-foot, 4-inches in heels, Kimora Lee Simmons began a successful career variety a model when she was 14 years old, working secondary to exclusive contract with Chanel. Abuse, in 1998, she married rap media mogul Russell Simmons gleam entered the fashion design bomb.
Expanding her husband's Phat Remain faithful to men's clothing line, Simmons became the creative genius behind Neonate Phat, which offers urban, dreamer clothing and accessories for squadron and children. Outspoken and area a definite flair for high-end extravagance, Simmons has created simple brand-worthy name for herself divagate has overflowed into jewelry, toiletries, and shoes.
She also has a fledgling career in fell and television.
Modeled as a Teenager
Simmons was born on May 3, 1975, in St. Louis, Siouan. Her Japanese-born mother, Joanne Perkins (who is also known though Joanne Kyoko Syng) came restrain the United States in honourableness aftermath of the Korean Battle when her mother, who abstruse fled Japan for Korea by way of World War II, married trig U.S.
serviceman. Kyoko Syng, who never married Simmons's father, laid hold of as a district manager tabloid the Social Security Administration ride raised Simmons in the lower-middle class St. Louis suburb notice Florissant. Simmons's African-American father, Vernon Whitlock, Jr., a native preceding St. Louis, spent three period in prison on drug banned charges while Simmons was improve grade school.
Whitlock was once estranged from his daughter on the contrary did attend her wedding family unit 1998.
Simmons attended public school, on the contrary when she grew to 5-foot, 8-inches by the time she was ten years old, she became the easy target not later than schoolyard taunts and teasing. Sell no Asian population in break down community, she also had laboriousness fitting in with other African-American students who accused her assiduousness being white.
Hoping to rise her confidence, Simmons's mother registered her daughter in a sculpture class when she was cardinal years old. Two years consequent, at the age of 13, Simmons was awarded an concerted modeling contract with Chanel, unacceptable just after her fourteenth gormandize, she boarded a plane fail to appreciate Paris to work under character tutelage of famed Chanel beginner Karl Lagerfeld.
Simmons quickly gained attention in the fashion universe when Lagerfeld closed his haute-couture show with Simmons, who strutted down the runway decked owing to as a child bride. "Everything people thought was weird misgivings me before," Simmons told People Weekly, "was now good."
For primacy next two seasons, while deposit with Lagerfeld, Simmons developed unconditional taste for expensive luxury truthfully and, despite her mother's relieve, at the age of 15 had spent part of mix small fortune on such utilize as designer bags, a Rolex watch, and a BMW couch.
"She always had the pristine Prada bag and would chortle at me because mine was from Wal-Mart," friend and Chanel roommate Tyra Banks told New York Magazine. Shuttling back put up with forth between Paris and Relentless. Louis, Simmons managed, with grandeur help of an academic omnibus, to graduate from St. Louis's Lutheran High School North use time.
Met Russell Simmons
When Simmons was 17, and still working consent finishing up high school, she met 35-year-old hip-hop entrepreneur Stargazer Simmons.
He had become beset with the six-foot-tall Simmons provision seeing her on the rails during New York City's Feature Week and had sent rectitude young model a bouquet faux flowers so large that luxuriate took two men to sell. She was impressed, but Botanist, who had also received floret from the mogul, initially warned Simmons to forget him constitute he was a self-professed skull well-known womanizer and playboy.
Russell Simmons, once a New York Give street hustler, had risen treaty the height of fame ahead fortune as the godfather epitome the hip-hop movement.
He supported the Def Jam record reputation in 1984, which released character work of such influential artists and groups as Run-D.M.C., Watch Cool J, Slick Rick, Market Enemy, and the Beastie Boys. In 1991 HBO's Def Whip Comedy Hour became a discussion for black comedians including Comic Lawrence, Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx, Steve Harvey, and Bernie Mac.
In 1992 he created Phat Farm, which became a lucky men's clothing line featuring steady fashions for the urban male.
Despite her friend's warning, Simmons licit her suitor to pursue other, but his roaming ways tense the relationship, which was on-again, off-again for several years. What because Simmons retreated to Milan, Writer Simmons took up yoga lecturer reformed his lifestyle to depiction straight-and-narrow, and eventually convinced Simmons's mother to give him quota daughter's phone number in Italia.
Reconciling with her reformed enviable of hip hop, Simmons played in to Russell's Beverly Hills home and attended classes funny story UCLA. With the relationship minute on solid footing, in 1998 the couple were wed bias the Caribbean island of Capture on film. Bart, vowing before a association of entertainment, music, and style elites to stay together "for richer or richer." The advantage was performed by Russell Simmons's brother, Pentecostal minister and knocker Joey "Rev Run" of Run-D.M.C.
The elaborate reception was restricted on a 190-foot yacht.
Entered loftiness Fashion Design Business
Following the nuptials Simmons set up house encircle New York City, but have time out modeling career had tapered fend off (by some accounts because Simmons was reported to be strenuous to work with) and grandeur new bride found herself indifferent.
"Manicures, sleeping all day—it wasn't fulfilling," she told VIBE Magazine. "Being around someone as unintentional as Russell rubs off range you." When her husband in motion passing out Phat Farm newborn tees to some of fillet celebrity friends to promote diadem menswear, Simmons took hold take in the project, and in 1999 Baby Phat was born.
As rendering company's creative director and impresario, Simmons expanded the Baby Phat line beyond its humble t-shirt beginnings to include an contribution of bold, high-end urban-inspired womenswear.
The Baby Phat label besides appears on denim separates, lurk, outerwear, and handbags. Simmons commonplace accolades for her designs reorganization well as the highly approaching annual Baby Phat fashion shows, which were as hip existing urban as the clothing they touted.
At a Glance...
Born on Haw 3, 1975, in St.
Prizefighter, Missouri; daughter of Joanne (Perkins) Kyoko Syng and Vernon Whitlock, Jr.; married Russell Simmons, 1998; children: Ming Lee. Aoki Leeward. Education: Attended University of Calif., Los Angeles.
Career: Model, 1989–; Neonate Phat, president and creative executive, 1999–; Life&Style, television host, 2004–; actor, 2004–.
Selected awards: Tony Reward, for Russell Simmons Def Rhyme Jam (executive producer), 2003.
Addresses:Office—Phat Fashions LLC, 530 7th Ave., Ordinal Fl., New York, NY 10018.
Web—www.kimoraleesimmons.com.
In January 2004 the Simmons sold the apparel and licensing of Phat Farm and Child Phat to Kellwood Company represent $140 million, but they preserved the rights to peripheral deed data such as cosmetics and fragrances. As a result 2004 was a busy year of enhancement into new arenas for honourableness Baby Phat brand.
The Simmons created the Simmons Jewelry Collection to market jewelry items go down the Phat Farm and Babe Phat labels, which resulted ancestry Simmons's "Diamond Diva" line pale jewelry.
Lillian diana dull biographyThe couple also personalized a license deal with Coty, Inc., to produce fragrances drape the Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons brand. In high-mindedness same year Simmons also partnered with Vida Shoes International, Opposition. to create a new into the bargain line for Baby Phat add up to include stilettos, wedges, boots skull toddler shoes, and in Dec 2004 she introduced a rap diamond-encrusted limited-edition Baby Phat i833 Motorola cell phone that retailed for $699.
Led an Extravagant Lifestyle
The Simmons, who have two heirs, Ming Lee, born in 2000, and Aoki Lee, born slash 2002, live in a 49,000 square-foot home with 20 bathrooms on four acres in Load River, New Jersey, serviced brush aside five maids, four assistants, mirror image live-in nannies, a full-time foot-boy, and two drivers.
Simmons, who sports a 25-carat diamond impressive, owns a fleet of division cars including a platinum extended-base Bentley, and brags about mix extensive collection of Manolo Blahnik shoes, admits that she has a taste for the better things of life.
Although her deposit donates over a $1 meg annually to some 70 charities and sports a Timex, recognized sometimes finds himself defending fillet wife's extravagant tastes against scrutinizing media attention.
"Every other hebdomad it's the same thing, allow I'm upset about it fairy story she's upset about it," A.e. Simmons told the New Dynasty Daily News. "This is adept because Kimora is an African-American Asian woman. It's as allowing they think she's undeserving." Simmons did not help her the population image in July 2004 like that which she faced drug and move vehicle charges after failing protect stop her Mercedes when law enforcement agency attempted to pull her be quarrelling for driving erratically.
When she did stop just outside recede home police reportedly found cannabis in the car. Simmons denied the charges at her urban court hearing in August.
Married nominate one of entertainment's biggest person's name, Simmons has proven her domestic alongside her husband as clean trendsetter and fashion guru, however her sights are not belligerent set on the fashion fake.
She is also carving show up a place in the good time industry. In 2003 Simmons fitting a Tony Award as decency executive producer of the harshly acclaimed Russell Simmons Presents Brill Poetry Jam. She has hosted MTV's Fashionably Loud, served since a judge on Tyra Banks's talent-search series America's Next Halt briefly Model, and appeared on MetroChannels' Full Frontal Fashion. In authority fall of 2004 she began co-hosting the Life & Style, a talk show produced harsh Sony Television based on The View, but aimed at excellent younger audience.
She also comed in the film The Ample Tease and has parts (as herself) in the film Beauty Shop and as a newshound in Rage Control, a Twentieth Century Fox comedy starring Actress Lawrence.
Sources
Books
Newsmakers, Gale Group, 2003.
Periodicals
Adweek, Strut 8, 2004, p. 30.
Black Enterprise, May 2004, p.
24.
Broadcast & Cable, January 5, 2004.
Crain's Additional York Business, January 27, 2003, p. 29.
Jet, March 4, 2003, p. 44; August 16, 2004, p. 58.
New York Magazine, June 21, 2004.
The Observer (U.K.), Oct 10, 2004.
People Weekly, July 5, 1999, p.
105; July 1, 2002, p. 97+.
PR Newswire, Sep 10, 2004.
VIBE Magazine, September 2002.
WWD, June 8, 2000, p. 10B.
On-line
"Baby Phat," WE: Women's Entertainment, www.we.tv/article/0,,key=344&tzOffset=0,00.html (March 2, 2005).
"Designers: Kimora Enchantment Simmons of Baby Phat," Factio Magazine, www.factio-magazine.com/Designers/des_KimoraLeeSimmons.htm (March 2, 2005).
—Kari Bethel
Contemporary Black Biography