Kimora Lee Simmons Establishes $1 Million Scholarship Fund For Fashion

Model-turned-fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons spoke to a room of 30 Fashion Institute of Technology students Tuesday afternoon (October 21), and announced she is creating a $1 million scholarship fund in her name.

"I'm from St. Louis, Missouri, for those of you that may not know, and growing up in St. Louis, the fashion industry always felt so far away, like millions of miles away," she said. "I always knew that I wanted to be a part of it, but I never really imagined how to make that happen for myself, and I imagine that's the case for maybe a lot of you."

According to WWD, the scholarship will be distributed to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) and Rush Teens. $500,000 of the fund will be dispersed to the New York educational organization over the next five years, while the remainder will be distributed to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, which was founded by her ex-husband Russell Simmons and his brothers Danny and Joseph "Rev. Run."

Style.com reports, the project will include an internship program with KLS Collection, Simmons' new, high-end womenswear line that will be launching in New York this November.

Referencing her three children, (and her fourth on the way) Simmons said, "I think about that with my own children- how to get started and how I can help... For the kids who dream of going to college to pursue their goals of being business leaders, designers, and entrepreneurs, I'm excited to be opening up a door to them."

Later she added, "It takes being at the right place at the right time to make it in the fashion industry, but it also takes opportunity and resources. That's what I'm here for."