Kimora Lee Simmons: Everyone is born fabulous

Kuala Lumpur — Mention the word “fabulous” and great wealth comes to mind. For one to personify a goddess of sorts or achieve the status of a celebrity being looked up to from high up there — wealth is indispensable. Honestly, even I believe that money counts a great deal for one to look fabulous. Those with great purchasing power have the freedom to splurge on anything material — branded clothes, shoes, bags or makeup — and therefore, can easily achieve the look that would make everyone sigh in admiration.   

However, I recently found out that this might be a wrong notion about achieving a fabulous look. Thanks to Kimora Lee Simmons who flew in here last Nov. 4 and made a “fabulous” appearance for E! Channel’s High Heeled Warriors event at the Garden Hotel’s Sage Restaurant and Wine Bar. The following day, she attended a press conference at Ritz Carlton Hotel’s Cobalt 7 to promote the fourth season of her reality show, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, airing Tuesday nights at 7:40 on E! (Ch. 57 to SkyCable silver and gold subscribers). Her words were inspiring and truly reflected positivity. What she said changed my view on being fabulous.

For those not in the know, Kimora is a top model, fashion mogul, producer, philanthropist, writer and according to Forbes magazine, “one of the hardest working mothers in Hollywood.”

“I wasn’t born fabulous. I wasn’t born to a royal family. When the doctor pulled me out, my dad said, ‘That baby is so ugly, it cannot be mine.’ That’s probably why I was raised by a single parent mom,” said Kimora when asked if she was born rich.

She continued, “But everyone is born fabulous. It’s not something that you can buy or something that you can get. You always have it inside of you that you can cultivate as you grow up. Sometimes, it (being fabulous) usually starts from a touch of adversity and that, I think, what makes us stronger and beautiful.” 

Kimora was born in St. Louis, Missouri to a Japanese mom and African-American dad. Growing up, she was the target of schoolyard bullying due to her height and mixed ancestry. Her mom enrolled her in a modeling class when she was 11. Two years later, she was discovered by the Paris Agency Glamour through a model search in Kansas and sent to Paris.

At 13, she was awarded a modeling contract with Chanel. Since then, she has graced the covers of fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. She has also modeled for Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent.

Money, Kimora agreed, can turn an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan, yet being fabulous is not only about dressing up good all the time.

With this writer after the presscon at Ritz Carlton Hotel where she promoted the fourth season of her show Life in the Fab Lane.

“Being fabulous means it comes from the inside. Yes, we wear makeup, we do our hair, we put on our clothes or we do our nails. Still, it comes from the inside because we can put a lot of makeup but if you’re sick, you’re sick. If you’re sad, you’re sad. A makeup can make you look little better or getting our nails done kinda make you relax but these are outside things, it should really come from the inside.”

She, too, said that price — whether expensive or cheap — doesn’t matter, pointing to the shoes she’s wearing during the interview.

“I am wearing a $39 pair of shoes right now and I think money doesn’t have to do with good style. If you have the money, then go ahead and splurge, but if you don’t, you can still look great on cheaper items, as long as you have a good sense of fashion.”

What about those fashion victims? Her advice: You have to choose the things that suit you. It’s not about designer brands, it’s about how you feel and how you look.

Her success, Kimora shared, came through hard work and initially from the dream of being in the fashion world someday. “I always strive for something better and I think fashion is my calling because I love fashion. I read every fashion magazine since I was eight just like my Aoki (Lee Simmons) right now.”

Aoki is one of Kimora’s two daughters -— the other one is Ming — with music mogul Russell Simmons whom she divorced three years ago. She is now married to Djimon Hounsou, the father of her son Kenzo. She quipped, “I always tell people that I have two husbands an ex (Russell) and a next (Djimon).

This early, Kimora said her two daughters are showing interest in fashion rather than music.

“They cut, sew and drape beautifully,” she offered. “They make costumes for each other and they love the runway. I cannot really stop them. If they want to be models, I can keep a better eye on them but right now, I make sure that they are putting a maximum effort when it comes to education.”

Are there moments when she doesn’t feel fabulous?

“I jump out of the bed every morning like, ‘Whoa, goodness what is going on?’ I don’t wake up feeling fabulous but it’s something that you have to tell yourself that’s why I said you’re born with it, you just have to cultivate it. Even if I’m tired and drained, I always think that life is a maze and I’m gonna make my way through it.”

That’s why Kimora tries to keep a balance in all the things she does. She attends to her businesses, family and show.

“I meditate. It helps. No one has to be super woman, you just do what’s in front of you and you only have to make smart decisions. We say that we have to prioritize and so is for me. God is first, next is my family then my business.”

Asked if her first step to fabulosity is as clichéd as “loving yourself,” Kimora replied, “Yes, it’s the best cliché that you could ever hear in pursuing your own happiness. So I always tell people to ‘love yourself.’”

Kimora also tries to give love and share her blessings. She established the Kimora Lee Simmons Scholarship Fund in St. Louis to provide support to students with financial needs. She is also an active member of various youth advocacy organizations.

Having been so successful now, is she afraid to grow old?

“No. I think that youth is a state of mind — forever young. I think older is wiser. I try not to live my life in fear because that’s another thing that constricts you.”

Aside from the reality show, Kimora is also launching soon her KLS collection and Kouture by Kimora Brands. She hopes to release a follow-up to her book Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It next year.