The queen of all things fabulous, Kimora Lee Simmons, is on a mission to help fund and support the next great fashion talent.
Establishing a $1 million scholarship fund for students pursuing careers in fashion, Simmons will donate the funds to create scholarship opportunities at the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, and Rush Teens, which is an art-focused segment of Russell Simmons philanthropic initiative.
“This is like wish fulfillment on my end, to tap into that formal education,†Simmons tells Vogue. “I never had someone put money into my career or my business–it’s very tough out there, and it will never get any easier!â€
The fabulous mother of three is hoping that her scholarship fund will help empower the next generation of fashion geniuses through education, while also providing them with unique hands-on experiences in the industry, which includes an internship program with her soon-to-be launched KLS Collection.
“For me, there’s so many young people who I feel like don’t have a voice,†she says. “I hope these scholarships will give access to that untapped talent, to tell the next Jason Wu, Alexander Wang, or Narciso Rodriguez that we believe in them.”
Hopefully Simmon’s philanthropic efforts will not only inspire the next generation of fashion creatives, but also motivate more fashion leaders today to reach out and give back.