The oldest child of hip-hop legend Russell Simmons and model Kimora Lee Simmons is Ming Lee Simmons.
Ming, a New York City native who was born in 2000, has already established herself as a successful businesswoman and style star. She was just six years old when she participated in her first runway show as a fashion model.
Simmons has since participated in a number of well-known fashion shows all over the world. Not to mention, she has appeared on the covers of several well-known magazines, including Galore and Disruption.
Ming Lee Simmons is a real force to be feared. Ming is making her own place in the fashion industry at a young age, much like her mother Kimora.
Regarding Ming’s educational background and credentials, she attended high school in New Jersey, USA, where he also studied. She then applied to study fashion at New York University.
In addition, from 2017 to 2018, Kimora Lee Simmons returned to school to finish her business degree. Then, in June 2018, she declared she had graduated from the University of Hartford.
The same week Ming Lee received her high school certificate. The mother and daughter also shared in the success together.
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Table of Contents
Career
Modeling was Ming Lee Simmons’ first line of work. She followed in her mother’s footsteps as she grew older. She began modeling when she was 14 years old.
At her mother’s fashion presentation, she and her sister Aoki Lee Simmons made their runway debut. Along with modeling, she also worked as a designer.
Similar to this, Ming Lee Simmons joined forces with her supermodel mother Kimora Lee Simmons, and her sister Aoki Lee Simmons to introduce the “Baby Phat” urban wear collection.
Her father was the owner of this clothing line. Additionally, they made the decision to relaunch the brand alongside an improved and more recognizable streetwear aesthetic. Their fashion line and apparel are primarily influenced by 2000s fashion.
Ming even participated in the co-design of enduring streetwear items.
Ming Lee Simmons was raised in a glamorous environment and quickly became well-known. She portrayed herself in the Kimora family television program “Kimora: Life in the Fame Lane.”
The featured Kimora Lee Simmons’ regular life, including her family, colleagues, and fashion career. On Style Network and E! Entertainment Television, their reality show debuted.
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Net Worth
Ming Lee Simmons, who has a net worth of $500K, earns most of her money from her work in the garment and fashion industries, according to Biographies World. She also makes money via social media and her modeling profession.
Ming Lee’s Mother: Who is Kimora Lee?
Kimora Lee Simmons Leissner (formerly Perkins), better known by her profession as Kimora Lee Simmons, was born on May 4, 1975, in St. Louis, Missouri. She has Japanese, Korean, and African American ancestry.
When she was eleven years old, her mother enrolled her in a modeling class since she had been bullied for being tall (she was about 6 feet tall by the time she was ten). She agreed to a modeling contract with Chanel and received guidance from legendary Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Her Career
When calling Kimora the “Face of the 21st Century” and advocating for greater racial inclusion in fashion, Lagerfeld was inspired by her. Later, she would become a model for well-known international high-fashion companies including Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Kenzo, Anna Sui, Fendi, Valentino, Emanuel Ungaro, and Valentino.
Russell Simmons, Kimora’s spouse at the time, was the CEO of the urban clothing brand Phat Farm in 1998. He founded the Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons women’s line, which was distributed by Phat Fashions. Kimora took on the role of Baby Phat’s fashion designer, designing outfits based on what she herself would like to wear.
In 2000, she was then named the brand’s President and Creative Director. Baby Phat had gross revenue earnings of $30 million in 2001, while Phat Farm and Baby Phat had combined profits of $265 million by 2002.
Phat Fashions was purchased by The Kellwood Company in 2004 for $140 million, while Kimora remained as President and Creative Director. Under her direction, the company’s product offerings were greatly expanded to include denim, accessories, jewelry, swimwear, and fragrance lines. In 2006, she was appointed President of Phat Fashions, and she eventually departed the organization in 2010.
She did, however, continue to possess all of the licensing rights for her perfume and cosmetics lines even after leaving the business. “Baby Phat Goddess” from 2005, “Golden Goddess,” “Seductive Goddess,” “Baby Phat Fabulosity,” “Luv Me,” and “Baby Phat Dare Me” are among the fragrances. They were sold in department stores like Macy’s and Sears all around America. In 2019, she declared that she had repurchased Baby Phat.
Television and Other Ventures
“One World Music Beat” was Kimora’s first television hosting role in 1998. She later went on to host the Sony Pictures Television-produced syndicated chat show “Life and Style” starting in 2004.
Kimora has also worked on other television projects, such as her E! series “Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane,” which debuted in 2007 and ran for seven seasons, “Kimora: House of Fab,” which debuted on the Style Network in 2013, and “America’s Next Top Model,” where she served as a judge during the first season.
She also contributed to other projects like the 2006 book “Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It” and music videos for Jay-Z, Usher, and Ginuwine. She also produced the Broadway production of “Def Poetry Jam,” which earned her a Tony Award for a Special Theatrical Event in 2003.
Kimora’s Personal Life
Russell Simmons and Kimora got hitched in December 1998. Ming Lee Simmons (born in 2000) and Aoki Lee Simmons are their two daughters (born 2002). They parted ways in 2006, and their divorce was finally formalized in 2009. She started dating actor Dijmon Hounsou in the summer of 2008, and the two later divorced in 2012. In 2009, she gave birth to their son Kenzo Lee Hounsou.
Wolfe Lee Leissner was born in 2015 after Kimora married Tim Leissner in February 2014. Leissner spent a long time working as a partner at Goldman Sachs. In the wake of the infamous 1MDB Malaysia corruption scandal, which cost the bank over $1 billion in fines and other expenses, he left Goldman.
Leissner pleaded guilty to accusations of money laundering in 2018 and consented to erase $43.7 million in earnings. Between 2009 and 2014, Leissner allegedly assisted conman Jho Low in defrauding Malaysia for $4.5 billion. Along the way, the scheme gave Leissner and a partner $200 million in fees.
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Ming Lee’s Sister: Who is Aoki Lee Simmons
Aoki Lee Simmons is an archaeologist and a student from the United States. She is a well-known celebrity child who is known as the offspring of Russell Simmons, an American businessman and record executive, and Kimora Lee Simmons. Along with being an author, model, and television personality, her mother is also an American entrepreneur.
In 1983, her father and Rick Rubin co-founded the record label Def Jam Records. If you want to learn more about the gifted celebrity child, scroll down.
She graduated from a prestigious high school in New York. She was a talented student at the time and acknowledged having a high tolerance for prejudice, which she demonstrated by using the n-word. She has applied to Harvard University on the merit list. She has additionally performed archeological work at the Pollentis Ronan dig in Spain. When Aoki was 18 months old, she and her mother walked the ramp for the baby phat clothing line.
Personal Life
Regarding her personal life, she has continued to keep the majority of her private affairs public. She reportedly started dating Anthony Karambelas, her high school love, though. Additionally, she uploaded photos of them from their 2019 school prom on her Instagram. He was also her date. She posted a few images of couples around that period, but as of right now, it is unclear whether they are still dating or not because she has chosen to keep her private life private.
Aside from that, Russell’s youngest daughter adores spending time with her parents. Additionally, she posts images of them on her social media accounts.
