- I mean you are so beautifully tall, I wish...
- I'd be saying thank you but my mom would be like,
thank me!
(audience laughing)
- So five kids and running your own businesses,
like I have a lot of jobs and we have four kids.
I have no idea how you're doing it.
- Yeah. It's crazy.
- But you just relaunched Baby Phat and with your daughters!
Yes, she did!
(Audience laughing)
- So I can't tell you how much I wanted a Baby Phat piece
when it first came out.
I was like, obsessed with it,
and I couldn't buy it because of my parents,
and they when it reemerged as this like...
- Now you can buy it.
- I'm like...
- Cute little bomber jacket, we have cute pieces.
- Because you know, I took...
I was shooting in New York and I took a special trip
to go get it and then the line was already sold out...
- Oh. Yeah, yeah.
- It was all gone.
- That was our launch, yeah.
- The only thing that was left was those
pink Velour tube tops, and I was like, could I pull it off?
(audience laughing)
Could I?
- I'll get you everything. Okay!
- I don't even ask that question anymore.
(laughs)
Just, no.
But you relaunched it with your daughters.
How is that? Working with your daughters?
- So Ming and Aoki, Aoki is 17. They're both in college.
Ming just turned 20.
- [Kelly] She's 17 in college?
- [Kimora] She's at Harvard.
- [Kelly] At 17?
- She's one of the youngest ever. Yeah.
(audience cheering)
One of the youngest ever.
- So just like me.
- Just like me.
- Just like me...
Do you think, working with your daughters,
and it's a big thing for women...
Like do you think that...
I know that fashion is lacking still in representation,
or do you think you're doing better?
- I think we're doing better,
but I definitely feel like it's lacking for women
and women of color.
And I've been in the business over 25 years,
and women are shut out.
I mean, obviously, if you're a model, that's fine.
But what comes after that?
You're shout out of all the business, all the finance,
making choices, being creative.
Really...
We've come a long way,
but we have so much further to go.
And I think that's important for my kids to
already have a job.
They kind of grew up...
I tell them, you better get a scholarship,
you better do something to help me.
So they know, every little bit, use your voice,
use your creativity, chase your passion,
I think is so important. - [Kelly] Yeah. Yeah.
(audience cheering)
- [Kelly] Yeah. I tell my kids that as well.
I'm like...
My kids will always be like...
They'll be in events and they get use to our
lifestyle places, they'll be like,
"Well we have the money"
And I'm like, "Oh sweetie. You have no money."
(audience laughing)
- [Kimora] Exactly.
I am spending all of this, you better be prepared to work.
I'm spending every dime, I cannot take it with me.
You better get to work.
(audience laughing)
Well, we have a twelve year old fashion designer backstage,
who's dream is to grow up to be just like Kimora,
a fashion icon.
She has no idea Kimora is here,
and that Kimora's got a very special proposal up her
stylish sleeve, well one sleeve today.
We'll meet her next.
(upbeat music)
So y'all, check out these looks right here.
So these outfits...
(audience cheering)
Were designed by that young girl modeling them
All right, so at 12 years old, she can already say
she's a fashion designer with her own brand,
and a growing list of exclusive clients.
From Sew Fly Sky, say hello to Skylar Johnson.
(audience cheering)
You are looking so fantastic! - [Skylar] Thank you.
I love you walked out here and I was like...
You're 12 and I have never been that cool.
Like, I have never been that cool.
How did you get into designing clothes?
- When I was eight, I was just sitting on the couch,
watching Disney Channel, like most eight year olds...
- Or 37 year olds with toddlers. Yes. Go.
- And Dove Cameron, she was doing a segment,
where she was upcycling and she would go to the
thrift stores and take some stuff that she liked,
and she'd take them home and put a modern spin on it.
So I was like, oh, that's really cool.
Maybe I should do that.
So me and my mom cleaned out my closet.
I was like, "Mom I don't want to give away my clothes,
I want to upcycle them."
So she's like, "What's upcycling?"
So I told her what it was
and she enrolled in private sewing lessons.
- [Kelly] That's so...
- Sorry, you were eight years old?
(audience laughing)
Okay. Tell you what I wasn't doing at eight.
(audience laughing)
- [Kelly] Being that cool. - Being that cool.
- So you are getting some big clients,
so tell us about Phyllis.
So Phyllis Randall, she is the chairwomen of Loudon County.
My mom, she's like, "So Phyllis Randall just called me
and she wants you to make her outfit."
And I'm just like...
- Oh my god.
- [Kelly] That's amazing - Oh, okay.
- Were you terrified or excited?
- Both, yes.
- [Kelly] Okay. I was like...
- And how old were you there?
- I was, I think, ten.
- That's incredible! - [Kelly] That's incredible!
(audience cheering)
I don't know if you know how amazing it is,
but not normal it is,
it's like you're leaps and bounds ahead of
all other people your age.
But I do have a surprise for Skylar. We have someone here
who's blown the fashion and beauty world away.
She's a model, the women behind Baby Phat,
and so many other successful businesses...
Kimora Lee Simmons! Come on out!
(upbeat music)
(audience cheering)
- [Kelly] Here you go!
- [Kimora] Hi!
- [Skyler] It's good to meet you!
- [Kimora] Look at you!
You almost made me cry
- [Kelly] Y'all sit down.
I know! Isn't it kind of crazy? Your kids probably (mumbles)
You didn't grow up in this industry.
Look at her! She's like...
- My mom!
- [Kelly] She's eyeing.
- Hi, Mom!
- So, first of all, you're a kid. This is not normal.
It's awesome. It's like so crazy.
Because I have kids of all ages, and I just think you are
mind blowing. Mine are too, I love you.
(audience laughing)
- [Kelly] You're so perfect, so perfect,
everything you do is roses.
But what do you think of her designs?
Like what she's doing?
- I saw them. I think they're beautiful.
- Thank you
- [Kimora] You made them and you modeled them,
and I was like wait, she did that?
And they were like...
Yeah, she did and I saw some of your sketches,
and I wait...
And how old is she?
- [Kelly] It's crazy!
- Yeah, it's mind blowing.
- And you also have a surprise for her as well, right?
- Yes, I brought you a little something here,
and we just want to tell you...
Well, I want to tell you,
what I'm sure everybody wants to tell you,
how proud we are of you.
And how important it is for you to follow your dreams,
and never let anybody tell you what you can't do,
because of what you look like, or your shape,
or your size, or your color, or your age,
which they try to do for me, a lot.
So, if you would be willing,
I would like to accept you under my wing
and offer you a mentorship.
(audience cheering)
What do you think?
(audience cheering)
- Oh my gosh!
- So that way we can keep in touch and you can design things
and show me your sketches, I'm a good boss.
Tell you if that's good or not, and you can meet the girls,
and we'll kind of coach you along on your fashion journey.
If you would.
- She's like, she's like, "What is happening?"
You are super fantastic, I am so happy that she was here
and wanted to mentor you.
Are you excited?
- Yes, yes, yes!