Kimora & Russell

The Way We Were
The story of Kimora & Russell
By John Vincent Vargas

Kimora, a native of Saint Louis, began making waves at the tender age of 13 when she started modeling for the House Of Chanel and played muse to Karl Lagerfeld.

Russell, a NYC staple, started making crazy loot when hip-hop was in its early stages.

I remember seeing Russell back in the break dancing days of the Roxy, and I was always taken aback by his laid-back, cool-as-a-mofo demeanor. There was nothing threatening about his vibe, an almost serene self-assured confidence. At the time, I did not even know his name, but I knew he was some sort of music dude.

Fast-forward to `89, when a friend from Warner Brothers was raving about how cool she was because Russell Simmons had just offered her a job. So there I was, chillin at the Warner Bros. Promotions office listening to some new remix of an Ofra Haza track, and I asked, “Who is this Russell Simmons guy, what does he look like?”

My friend opened a mag and showed me a picture of Russell at some club and it all started to make sense. “No wonder I see this cat out in the club scene all the time.” I said. As the years went by, I saw Russell, with models always in tow, at clubs such as Nell’s, and at the infamous after hours Save The Robots. Talk about a charmed life indeed. Someone like Russell from a humble background making a serious name for himself is the material that movies are made of.

Fast-forward another couple of years, and I was out and about, chillin’ with some friends at a party that my boy Rocco Ancorola was hosting. The place was crowded but comfortable, and I saw this cluster of heads forming around someone, then out of the crowd stepped this extremely tall and slender goddess. I tried sipping my drink, but I was so overtaken by the beauty before me, and I spilled my drink.

No one noticed since all eyes were on Kimora. Of course, a second later Russell steps out of the crowd. I remember saying to myself, “That is one of the luckiest mofos in the world”. Yeah, I have to admit I was almost hating on him, because I was in complete lust. Charmed life indeed. My granddaddy use to say, “Work hard, and you'll get all you ever wanted.” Russell Simmons must have a similar work ethic cause homeboy is like an octopus - he has his hands in all aspects of business. Not to mention,

The following is from a never before published interview dating back to May 2001.

Interior: Kitchen near elevator. Russell & Kimora's penthouse. I was waiting near the kitchen and was not aware Russell and Kimora have some pets. Manolo, their cockatoo, scared the daylights out of me. Damn bird and his shrieking caught me by surprise. The elevator door opened and we all walked in. My TRV900 rolling.

FMFB: Hello, Mrs. Simmons. Say hello to the camera.

Kimora: My name is Kimora Lee Simmons. Nice to meet you.

FMFB: Nice to meet you too, in a crowded elevator.
(At this point, Russell walks in and he makes a motion as if he were going to hit me, all play acting into the camera of course.)

Kimora: (To Russell) I'm sure you were really feeling it at the moment, because I know you, and you are probably slightly more aggressive than your usual.

FMFB: I remember there used to be a weekly Baby Phat party at Spy [club in soho presently closed] before you launched the line. Was that a way of getting the name out to the public before you launched the line?

Russell: That was kinda just a cool name we always had to promote Baby Phat T-shirts and stuff. So it was just a sexy name, and we wanted to give a sexy party. It was just a cool, sexy name for sexy clothes for sexy women. So we ended up using the name for the party.

Cut to: The Limo Russell: Get in man. Kimora: Are you recording everything? Russell: I'm going to go get my coat. Kimora: I don't have a coat.

Russell: All I have is a sweater on.

FMFB: Back to the question, so that's how Baby Phat actually started?

Russell: No we always had it. Baby Phat was something where we created collections for the fun of it. Although we did not sell all of it, we created collections for years. What is it since '92, honey?

Kimora: Yeah '92. (Russell leaves to get his coat) We are going to be late.

FMFB: Kimora, do you mind if I ask about your ethnic background?

Kimora: I'm Asian American. My mother is Asian and my father is American. African American is what my dad is if you want me to be specific.

FMFB: Where were you born?

Kimora: I was born in Saint Louis. Who's the woman? Josephine Baker. She's from Saint Louis and Bob Costas. Are you too close with the camera on my face? Is it too close? Cause it should be at least to the cleavage cause otherwise I'll look fat, you don't understand. I'm completely at your mercy with this camera, and I don't know what you are doing, and no one has been in my presence with a constant camera rolling. What is this called again?

FMFB: FilmMusicFashion&Babes

Kimora: Babes, Babes? Only women though, no men?

FMFB: Men are included in the babes section as well.

Kimora: So who are the babes, women and men? Am I a Babe? Or am I fashion?

FMFB: When we use the term "babes" we can be referring to a female or male as long as they are pleasing to the eye. And yes Kimora you a total babe.

Kimora: So anyone could be a babe, male or female, all of us? As long as they are pleasing to the eye?

FMFB: Exactly.

Kimora: Babe is a talking pig (referring to the talking pig movie, Babe) also.At this point, I'm laughing inside myself, because I know that she is messing with me. I'm thinking, “Damn this interview is not half done, and Russell is in an aggressive mood and Kimora is messing with me. Oh well, It has been a lot of fun gauging their reactions so far."

FMFB: Then in the beginning, you were just doing sexy t-shirts, mainly?

Kimora: In the beginning, we just wanted to establish a female counterpart to Phat Farm, and we had this line of baby-T's, basically just for sexy girls. So we gave them out to all the super models or whoever was any of our fabulous, female, sexy friends at the time. So we sort of created an image for the name.

FMFB: When exactly did you decide to launch the actual line?

Kimora: We launched our first season spring 2000.

FMFB: How many fashions shows have you done to date? (At this point Russell comes back with his jacket)

Kimora: Quite a few.

Russell: Many fashion shows.

Kimora: (To Russell) Did you just butt in?

Russell: No. Homes just asked me how many shows did we do.

Kimora: He did not ask you. Did you ask him?

Russell: Did you ask me?

We all laugh. I’m thinking, “Here we go. They are messing with me.”

FMFB: It was a general question. You came back, and I acknowledged your entrance.

Russell: Yeah, and you pointed the camera at me, so I answered. Keep it real. Stop making it seem like you didn’t ask me.

FMFB: How was your last show?

Russell: It was good.

Kimora: I thought he was talking to me, once again. I don't understand why you are allowing Russell to take over everything?

FMFB: I don't want him to feel left out?

Kimora: He doesn't. Do you feel left out, honey?

Russell: No, go-ahead talk about Baby Phat. Phat Farm is doing several hundred million dollars by itself.

Kimora: This is a commercial!!!

Russell: Baby Phat is starting out. Phat Farm is a huge company and Baby Phat is the baby.

FMFB: Sales wise?

Russell: Phat Farm is a huge company, and we are established. Baby Phat is just starting out, and it's doing ok.

Kimora: Yeah, let's talk about sales. Tell him how I made more money in our first year than you did in your first eight. I'm not bragging or anything, I'm just having a conversation.

Russell: First five or six, because I laid down the groundwork for Baby Phat.

FMFB: What were the actual sales for Baby Phat's first year?

Russell: Not a lot. It took Phat Farm almost seven years before we were making money. It took some time, but we did not compromise or let trends dictate what we do. We've been making argyle sweaters for about ten years know. Ok, no more promotion. Let's talk about Phat Farm.

Kimora: What do you wanna talk about? (To me)

FMFB: Lets talk about Baby Phat. When is your next fashion show?

Kimora: I’m not sure. Publicist will have to let you know.

FMFB: As far as the everyday operations?

Kimora: I’m the creative director.

Russell: She's responsible for the development of the brand.

FMFB: Is Baby Phat distributed worldwide yet?

Russell: We have a distributor in Canada, and were negotiating with someone in Japan.

FMFB:Not to change the subject, but how did you meet?

Russell: She was in a Mary McFaden fashion show. She was very young.

Kimora: I don't think it was Mary McFaden.

Russell: It was Mary McFaden. I went to every show after that. Isaac, this and that, every show of the season I went to, to get her to pay attention. There were a lot of haters backstage. All these older women, they were mean. I'm talking about Linda.

Kimora: No, that is so not true. He is leaving a lot of the ones that were mean out.

Russell: Linda wasn't mean. Naomi was mean, Tyra Banks was the meanest.

Kimora: That's my best friend.

FMFB:When you say "mean", what are you referring to, in what way?

Kimora: Mean to the situation, not like they were saying he was a player or anything like that. It was more the situation.

Russell: They were saying I was too old for her. They were probably right.

Kimora: A few people said that, but that was just a piece of advice.

FMFB: The fact remains he won you over, so it's cool. I remember seeing you guys out at a lounge and saying to myself, “Wow what a striking couple!”

Russell: How long ago was that?

FMFB: Oh, that was a long time ago (laughing.) Okay, let's go from pleasantries to toiletries? Will you be putting out a fragrance called Kimora?

Kimora: A fragrance called Kimora will have to be sexy and glamorous, over-the-top and fly like all the Baby Phat girls.

FMFB: Kimora, being that Russell has brought all his experience to Baby Phat, do you feel that it has made it easier on you?

Kimora: Yes, Russell tells me everyday that he laid the groundwork, and I agree. In the office, when we have meetings with Russell, we all listen and take notes cause it's wisdom and your only going to get it once. We call the meetings ‘The Russell Simmons School Of Marketing.’

Russell: I will say that Baby Phat is uniquely placed in the market because of her creative work. Kimora brings this design and attitude that is unlike anything else in the market, and that is the biggest part of making the spaceship run. I mean, there is the infrastructure, but you need the fuel. Right now, if you go to a department store, and pick our product there's nothing like it on the floor as far as quality and creativity. It's unique, and I feel that people are going to start borrowing her ideas.

FMFB: Have you had any problems with counterfeits?

Russell: We just arrested a warehouse in LA. It was probably a few million dollars worth of merchandise. It was both brands, Phat Farm and Baby Phat.

FMFB: How do you try to curtail that?

Russell: Constant policing and arrests.

Kimora: By paying constant attention to detail. I consider myself a collector of certain things, and I know a counterfeit from a non-counterfeit, so I try to do very subtle things in my designs so that my girls, I mean, girls that wear Baby Phat will know what's real and what's not.

If you look at a Cartier watch and you look at one of the numbers which are in roman numerals, I think it is the ten or eleven, if you look really close, you could see that on the number it spells Cartier. But if you go to Chinatown and get a fake, all you see is a line.

Russell: So you are going to tell Cartier that I bought you a fake?
(We all laugh except Russell, as he rests his head on Kimora's shoulder)
I’m tired as fuck.

Kimora: Russell, don't curse. This is really candid, very up-close-and-personal. (To me) What are you, like Robert Altman?

Russell: What is this Jay Leno, David Letterman? Honey, he's just trying to keep it real.

Kimora: He's keeping it really real. He has not turned that thing off since...

FMFB:Yeah, it’s very documentary style, verite type journalism.

Russell: Yeah, yeah. You are a brilliant filmmaker capturing the rarity of the moment

(We all laughed as the car pulled up to its destination)

Cut to: The Event

Russell and Kimora had to do the red carpet thing before they were whisked away to their seats, and the show began. Once the show came to an end, the party began. I had a cocktail, and said adios to Russell and Kimora, and all the while, one thing was plainly obvious, although they are both "wisenheimers"

No matter what exterior they are projecting, they are both deep, down to earth kind people, and damn she's fine!

Now if I only had Russell Simmons mad loot hehe.

FMFB wishes Russell and Kimora the best as the "Charmed" individuals they are or as a couple if they get back together.