Kimora Lee Simmons expands her iconic brand as she announces Baby Phat Beauty with daughters

The iconic brand fashion Baby Phat was started in 1999 by Kimora Lee Simmons and her then husband Russell Simmons.

And on Tuesday, Kimora announced her brand is expanding to the beauty world with Baby Phat Beauty.

The model and entrepreneur, 45, launched the new venture with her daughters Ming Lee, 18, and Aoki Lee, 21.

The brand Baby Phat, which was hugely popular during the 2000s decade, was relaunched last year. 

Last year, she revealed that she is the owner of the brand once again after previously leaving the position in 2010. 

Kimora said: ‘I made the brand, sold the brand, and then I got the brand back. But this is a little bit different. Ming and Aoki are growing up in this environment working for themselves and really working for the community. So, we have always been about diversity,’ she told People.

The designer: ‘I have always been very inclusive of people and women that look like me and looking for something I’m looking for that didn’t exist. Going back to my very first show, my very last show, every show in between, this is what I’ve represented since I’ve been on my runway myself. We  are women of color, which is super important to celebrate right now.’

Founded by Kimora and Russell in 1999, the brand features the iconic cat as its logo; she served as the creative director and put on runway shows and iconic designs that celebrities rocked.

 The Baby Phat Beauty line was launched by Kimora and her two daughters on Tuesday, with three individual sets available for purchase.

Each Shimmer Dreams set is paired with either Kimora, Ming or Aoki, and consists of three products and a travel pouch: an illuminating body spray, a plumping lip gloss and a hydrating body lotion; it is $45 for each set and available on babyphatbeauty.com.

Kimora’s set is the Divine Shimmer Dreams set, with notes of citrus, jasmine and hints of vanilla.

Ming’s set is called the Opulence Shimmer Dreams set, with notes of rich floral, bergamot and hints of caramel.

Aoki’s is called the Ethereal Shimmer Dreams set with notes of pear and hints of amber. 

Kimora said: ‘We’re a family business… a heritage brand. It’s an old meets new legacy kind of a situation for me,’ she told People.

Adding that the new line is ‘a little bit of luxury, a little bit of sassiness, a little bit glitter and glitz to your day.’

Kimora said: ‘Ming’s is Opulence. Ming is very similar to me; she gets the love of fashion, beauty and self-expression. The smell is also super yummy. It’s peachy and has orchid with the caramel. Aoki’s is called Ethereal. Hers is more about a free-spirited attitude, being independent, a pursuit of knowledge. It’s kind of an uplifting decoration of independence. It’s like I am woman, hear me roar.’

The star said of Divine: ‘Mine is more warm, sweet and a little bit floral. I think of mine as… I think of myself as being a boss, like a bada**.’

Kimora noted: ‘This is the retro brand that’s reborn looking through the eyes of young people like Ming and Aoki. My girls have been working with me and going to school – and that’s tough. It can be tough, but its exciting that we’re pushing that needle forward.’ 

Kimora is married to Tim Leissner, and they welcomed their first child together in 2015 named Wolfe Lee, five; they also adopted a 10-year-old boy named Gary, according to People. 

She has a son named Kenzo Lee, 11, with her ex boyfriend actor Dijmon Hounsou; they were together from 2007 until 2012.

Kimora shares Ming and Aoki with her first husband Russell Simmons; they were married from 1998 until they separated in 2006 before finalizing their divorce in 2009.