Kimora Lee Simmons

May 04, 1975

Kimora Lee Simmons (née Perkins; May 4, 1975) is an American model, fashion designer, venture capitalist, entrepreneur, TV personality, philanthropist, and author. She was signed with the house of CHANEL as a teenager where she became a model and has walked the runway for fashion houses such as Fendi and Valentino and appeared on the covers of Vogue and Elle. In 1999, she launched the global lifestyle brand Baby Phat to huge success around the world. Outside of fashion and modeling, she received a Tony award in 2003 for her work as a producer on Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. In 2007, she, alongside her family, ventured into reality television and starred in Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane on E! Network which aired 4 seasons. She was married to record executive Russell Simmons from 1998 to 2009; they have 2 daughters: Ming and Aoki. She dated actor Djimon Hounsou from 2007 to 2012; they have a son, Kenzo. She married investment banker Tim Leissner in 2015; they have a biological son, Wolf, and adopted a son, Gary.