How Old Is Kimora Lee Simmons? the Real Story Behind Her Early Career and Russell Simmons Romance
When Kimora arrived in Europe, legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld took notice. Lagerfeld famously christened Kimora, alongside fellow models Bernadette Jurkowski and Olga Pantushenkova, as one of his "Karlettes." In 1989, at age 14, she closed the Chanel Haute Couture presentation, an honor reserved for the world’s elite supermodels.
Lagerfeld viewed Kimora’s look, a blend of African American and Japanese heritage, as the blueprint for the 21st-century runway muse. Over the next three years, she booked major campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Fendi, and Christian Dior. The rigorous, adult-dominated European fashion circuit forced Kimora to grow up fast. Living independently in Paris apartments at 15, she managed international travel, high-stakes casting calls, and intense industry pressures long before reaching legal adulthood in the United States.