Kimora Lee Simmons, now publicly known as Kimora Lee, is an American fashion designer, former supermodel, entrepreneur, and television personality. She rose to prominence as a teenager in the fashion industry before building Baby Phat into a recognizable fashion label associated with early-2000s streetwear.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Kimora moved from international modeling into fashion leadership and reality television. Her career has included collaborations with major designers, executive roles in fashion businesses, and shows documenting her work and family life.
She is also the mother of five children and has frequently discussed the responsibilities of raising a blended family while managing her businesses. In 2025, she returned to television with Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane. In 2026, renewed public attention followed developments in her personal life and the release of a documentary about her experiences.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kimora Lee Perkins (professionally known as Kimora Lee Simmons) |
| Current Public Name | Kimora Lee |
| Date of Birth | May 4, 1975 |
| Age | 51 years old (as of October 2026) |
| Birthplace | St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Fashion designer, entrepreneur, former model, TV personality |
| Ethnicity | Japanese, Korean, and African American heritage |
| Mother | Joanne Perkins |
| Father | Vernon Whitlock Jr. |
| Former Husband | Russell Simmons |
| Former Partner | Djimon Hounsou |
| Husband | Tim Leissner; divorce filing reported in 2026 |
| Children | Ming Lee, Aoki Lee, Kenzo Lee, Gary, and Wolfe Lee |
| Famous For | Baby Phat fashion brand and reality television |
| Book | Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It |
| Television Show | Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane |
| Business Achievement | Reacquired Baby Phat in 2019 |
| Net Worth | Not reliably established |
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Early Life and Background
Kimora Lee Perkins was born on May 4, 1975, in St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up in a multicultural family. Her mother, Joanne Perkins, is of Japanese and Korean ancestry, while her father, Vernon Whitlock Jr., is African American.
Kimora has discussed being tall from an early age and experiencing teasing during childhood. Her mother supported her interest in modeling, enrolling her in modeling classes when she was young.
At approximately 13, Kimora attended a modeling event in Kansas City that helped launch her professional career. Her potential attracted the attention of influential fashion figures, including designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Lagerfeld subsequently brought her into the world of Chanel, giving the young model an opportunity to work within one of fashion’s most prestigious houses. That early experience introduced her to international runways and established the foundation for a career that would eventually extend beyond modeling.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Education
Kimora attended Lutheran North High School in St. Louis while pursuing modeling opportunities. Her early career required balancing education with travel and professional commitments.
Later, she attended the University of Hartford in Connecticut, where she studied business. Her education complemented the commercial experience she gained through modeling and fashion work.
Her transition into entrepreneurship was not simply a move from the runway to designing clothes. It involved understanding brand identity, marketing, retail, and the business decisions required to develop a recognizable fashion label.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Modeling Career
Kimora’s modeling career began in her early teens and quickly took her beyond the United States. Her height, distinctive appearance, and confident runway presence helped her stand out in an industry where she was younger than many of her peers.
Working With Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel
One of the defining moments in Kimora’s early career was her association with Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel. She became a prominent young face of the fashion house and gained experience working with established designers and international fashion teams.
Her runway work introduced her to the demands of high fashion, from fittings and editorial shoots to international fashion shows. These experiences also helped her understand how designers build a recognizable visual identity around a brand.
International Fashion Recognition
Kimora went on to model for major fashion houses, including Fendi and Valentino. She also appeared in fashion magazines and advertising campaigns, building a reputation that extended beyond the runway.
Her modeling career gave her access to influential people in fashion and entertainment. Rather than remaining a model throughout her professional life, she used that visibility to pursue business opportunities and develop her own approach to fashion.
Kimora Lee Simmons and Baby Phat
Baby Phat is the fashion brand most closely associated with Kimora’s business legacy. Launched in 1999 as a women’s extension of the Phat Farm label founded by Russell Simmons, it developed into a distinctive lifestyle brand under Kimora’s creative leadership.
The label became known for fitted silhouettes, casual streetwear, embellished clothing, denim, and its recognizable cat logo. Its designs connected hip-hop culture with mainstream fashion at a time when urban streetwear was becoming increasingly influential.
Building Baby Phat Into a Recognizable Brand
Kimora served as the brand’s creative force, helping shape its designs, marketing, and public image. Baby Phat appealed to consumers who wanted fashion that combined casual clothing with glamour and a strong sense of identity.
Its success reflected more than its products. The brand was connected to music, celebrity culture, and the growing influence of streetwear in the wider fashion industry.
Kimora’s background as a model helped her understand the visual side of branding, while her growing business experience allowed her to take on broader leadership responsibilities.
The Sale and Return of Baby Phat
In 2004, Phat Farm and its associated businesses were sold to Kellwood Company. Kimora subsequently became president and creative director of Phat Fashions, giving her responsibility for a broader fashion operation.
She later parted ways with the company and lost direct control of Baby Phat. However, the brand remained an important part of her professional identity.
In 2019, Kimora announced that she had bought Baby Phat back. The move allowed her to regain control of a label that had become closely associated with her name.
The brand’s return coincided with renewed interest in late-1990s and early-2000s fashion. Its original aesthetic, including velour tracksuits and logo-driven streetwear, found new audiences among consumers drawn to Y2K styles.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Business Ventures Beyond Fashion
Although Baby Phat remains central to her career, Kimora has pursued other business opportunities.
JustFab
In 2011, Kimora became president and creative director of JustFab, a subscription-based fashion retail company. The position expanded her experience in online retail and consumer-focused fashion businesses.
The role reflected the industry’s shift toward digital shopping and personalized product offerings. It also allowed her to apply her understanding of fashion branding to a business model different from traditional designer labels.
Investments and Entrepreneurship
Kimora has also discussed investing in businesses outside fashion. Her commercial interests have included Celsius, the energy-drink company, although the details of her investments and financial returns should not be confused with independently verified estimates of her overall wealth.
Her entrepreneurial career has involved both successes and changes in direction. The return of Baby Phat stands out because it brought her back to the brand that helped define her public identity.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Television Career
Kimora expanded her public profile through reality television, where audiences could see aspects of her work and family life beyond fashion campaigns.
Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane
The reality series Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane premiered in 2007 and followed Kimora as she managed her business, attended fashion events, and raised her daughters.
The program offered viewers a look at the demands of running a fashion company while maintaining a busy family life. It also introduced audiences to her distinctive approach to personal style and the concept of “fabulosity,” a term she used to describe her glamorous lifestyle and fashion philosophy.
The series ran through 2011 and helped establish her as a television personality in her own right.
Kimora: House of Fab
Kimora later appeared in Kimora: House of Fab, a reality series centered on the work of her fashion and lifestyle team. The program focused more closely on professional responsibilities, creative decisions, and the people involved in supporting her business.
It provided another view of her work outside modeling and showed how a fashion brand depends on collaboration across different roles.
Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane
In 2025, Kimora returned to reality television with Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane. The series revisits her life as a fashion entrepreneur and mother of five, with attention to the changing needs of her family and the next stage of her career.
Her children are older than they were during her first reality series, and some have begun pursuing their own educational and professional goals. This gives the newer show a different focus from the original program.
Kimora Lee: On Her Own
In 2026, Kimora became the subject of the Lifetime documentary Kimora Lee: On Her Own. The documentary explores her rise from teenage model to fashion entrepreneur, alongside difficult personal experiences and her efforts to protect her family and professional legacy.
The project marks a more personal chapter in her public story, moving beyond the glamorous image associated with her early television appearances.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Books and Acting Work
Kimora has also explored writing and acting.
In 2006, she published Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It, a book that presents her views on style, confidence, ambition, and personal presentation. It reflects the image she developed through modeling and her work with Baby Phat.
Her acting credits include appearances in films such as For Love or Money and Beauty Shop. These projects were separate from her primary work as a model and fashion entrepreneur, but they expanded her presence in entertainment.
Although acting has not been the central focus of her career, these roles demonstrate her willingness to work across different areas of popular culture.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Personal Life and Relationships
Kimora’s relationships have received considerable media attention, partly because several of her partners have been prominent in music, film, and business.
Russell Simmons
Kimora met music executive and entrepreneur Russell Simmons when she was a teenager. Russell was a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and an established figure in hip-hop.
They married in 1998 and had two daughters, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee. Their relationship also intersected with their business lives through the development of Baby Phat.
The couple separated in 2006, and their divorce was finalized in 2009. Their daughters have since developed their own interests and public profiles.
Djimon Hounsou
After separating from Russell, Kimora entered a relationship with actor Djimon Hounsou. The couple welcomed their son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou, in May 2009.
Hounsou is known for film roles in productions including Blood Diamond and Gladiator. Although the relationship ended, Kimora and Hounsou share responsibility for their son.
Tim Leissner
Kimora married former investment banker Tim Leissner in 2014. They have one son together, Wolfe Lee.
Leissner later became involved in the major 1MDB financial scandal and pleaded guilty to offenses connected to the case. In 2025, he was sentenced to two years in prison.
In April 2026, Leissner filed for divorce, marking a significant development in their relationship. The filing sought arrangements concerning custody and financial support. The filing itself should not be confused with a final divorce judgment.
Kimora had previously been described as estranged from Leissner. Recent reporting has also referred to her as a single mother, reflecting her account of taking primary responsibility for her children’s daily lives.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Five Children
Kimora has five children: two daughters and three sons. She has also spoken publicly about a young man she considers her bonus son, Jayden, who has lived with the family for years.
Ming Lee Simmons
Ming Lee Simmons is Kimora’s eldest daughter with Russell Simmons, born in January 2000. She has pursued modeling and business interests, including her beauty brand, Boulangerie Beauty.
Ming has appeared in fashion campaigns and public events alongside her family. As an adult, she has increasingly developed a public identity separate from her mother’s career.
Aoki Lee Simmons
Aoki Lee Simmons, born in August 2002, is Kimora’s younger daughter with Russell Simmons. She attended Harvard University and graduated in 2023.
Aoki has also worked in modeling and has spoken publicly about education and her experiences growing up in a prominent family. Her interests and public activities extend beyond fashion.
Kenzo Lee Hounsou
Kenzo was born in May 2009 and is Kimora’s son with Djimon Hounsou. Kimora has discussed his interests in sports, including basketball.
She has also spoken about the demands of raising children at different ages while managing a business and public career.
Gary Lee
Kimora adopted Gary in 2020. She has described adoption as something she had considered for years before welcoming him into her family.
She generally protects his privacy, although he has appeared in accounts of family life and in discussions about her responsibilities as a parent.
Wolfe Lee
Wolfe Lee is Kimora’s youngest biological child, born in April 2015. His father is Tim Leissner.
Kimora has occasionally shared milestones from his life, but she has not made every detail of his upbringing public.
Jayden, Her Bonus Son
Kimora has also described Jayden as her bonus son. He is not one of her five legal children, but she has spoken about the close role he plays in their household.
This distinction matters when describing her family: Kimora has five children and also embraces a broader family circle that includes Jayden.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Ethnicity and Cultural Background
Kimora has Japanese and Korean heritage through her mother and African American heritage through her father. She has spoken about her background and the experience of growing up with a multicultural identity.
Her appearance and personal style became part of her public image during her modeling career. Over time, her work with Baby Phat also contributed to a fashion brand that reached a broad and diverse audience.
Her background is one aspect of her identity, but her professional story is also shaped by her business decisions, fashion experience, and work across entertainment.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Name Change
Kimora became widely known by the surname Simmons through her marriage to Russell Simmons. Following her later marriage to Tim Leissner, she was also referred to in some public contexts as Kimora Lee Leissner.
In 2026, reporting indicated that she had legally dropped the Simmons surname and returned to using Kimora Lee. The change was described as part of her effort to take ownership of her identity and focus on her family and professional legacy.
Her name change does not alter her established career history, but it reflects a shift in how she chooses to identify herself publicly.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ Net Worth
Kimora’s exact net worth is not reliably established through publicly available financial disclosures. Online estimates vary and often do not explain how they calculate her assets, liabilities, business interests, or investment returns.
Her career has included modeling contracts, fashion leadership, television work, book publishing, and investments. She also regained ownership of Baby Phat in 2019, an important business milestone.
However, the value of a brand is not the same as its founder’s personal wealth. Without a credible, independently supported financial assessment, assigning Kimora a precise net-worth figure would be speculative.
Interesting Facts About Kimora Lee Simmons
- She began modeling as a teenager and worked with Chanel early in her career.
- Karl Lagerfeld helped introduce her to the world of high fashion.
- She launched Baby Phat in 1999 and later bought the brand back in 2019.
- Her first reality series, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, premiered in 2007.
- She published Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It in 2006.
- She has five children: Ming, Aoki, Kenzo, Gary, and Wolfe.
- Her daughters, Ming and Aoki, have pursued education, modeling, and business interests.
- She returned to reality television with Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane in 2025.
- The 2026 documentary Kimora Lee: On Her Own explores her life and career.
- She has publicly embraced Jayden as her bonus son, although he is not one of her five legal children.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kimora Lee Simmons
1. Who is Kimora Lee Simmons?
Kimora Lee Simmons, now publicly known as Kimora Lee, is an American fashion designer, former model, entrepreneur, and television personality. She is best known for building the Baby Phat brand and starring in reality television series about her work and family.
2. How old is Kimora Lee Simmons?
Kimora was born on May 4, 1975. She is 51 years old as of October 2026.
3. What is Kimora Lee Simmons famous for?
She is best known for her modeling career, her leadership of Baby Phat, and her reality television series. She also published a book about style and personal confidence and has worked in acting.
4. How many children does Kimora Lee Simmons have?
Kimora has five children: daughters Ming and Aoki, and sons Kenzo, Gary, and Wolfe. She also considers Jayden, who has lived with her family for years, her bonus son.
5. Is Kimora Lee Simmons still married to Tim Leissner?
Leissner filed for divorce in April 2026, according to public reporting. The filing marks a formal step toward ending the marriage, but a filing alone does not establish that a final divorce judgment has been entered.
6. Does Kimora Lee Simmons still own Baby Phat?
Kimora announced that she had bought Baby Phat back in 2019. The brand remains an important part of her business identity and fashion legacy.
7. What is Kimora Lee Simmons’ net worth?
Her exact net worth has not been reliably established. Although she has earned income from fashion, modeling, television, and business investments, public estimates are not sufficiently documented to confirm a precise figure.
Conclusion
Kimora Lee’s career spans high-fashion modeling, entrepreneurship, television, and family life. Her work with Baby Phat remains her defining business achievement, while her return to the brand and to reality television has introduced her story to new audiences.
Her more recent public appearances and documentary work also reflect a shift toward telling her story on her own terms. Across several decades, she has built a career that combines fashion influence with business experience and a strong public identity.
Don’t miss out — discover more stories only on Meet Celebrity.
