Kimora Lee Simmons is an industry veteran who knows her customer comes to her for something more than just a simple black pant. This fall she pumped up the volume even more than in seasons’ past, offering a mix of evening frocks heavy on texture, daywear that can easily transition to night and a few over-the-top pieces that could land on a red carpet.
Her fall collection was inspired by Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong, who, Simmons said, didn’t let anyone define her. “She resonates with me — she was powerful and an empowered woman; if you fast-forward, it’s something still so important today, if not more [so]. There is a call to action for women.” Simmons said at a private preview in her new showroom in the Garment District.
This power play translated to a ton of mixed materials and embellishments, such as laser-cut jackets, sequins layered like chiseled ice on a jumpsuit, latex with fused silk in a jacket and skirt and a jacquard fabric on a coat that mimicked stained glass.
Kimora Lee Simmons RTW Fall 2019
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“I’m leaning more into it,” Simmons said of the collection’s emphasis on colors, beads and trims. “You have to have a point of difference. This is mine.”
She rounded out the line with updates of her signature jumpsuits, done in velvet, and a host of bolero jackets with an attitude that reflected Simmons’ big personality. Some pieces might have been a bit too loud, but she decidedly has her own point of view.
“Everybody has a little diva in them,“ she said. “Even the simplest of wallflowers has a little bit in them.”