Remember when we covered Kimora Lee Simmons' new Dare fragrance ad in April? And we innocently wondered how she managed to make her body look like a fourteen year-old's? We suspected body doubles then and it turns out we were right.
Body doubles was only one of the rumors The New York Post revealed surrounding Kimora's not-so-ceremonious split from Kellwood Company, the parent company of Baby Phat. According to Page Six, "Kimora was going over-budget. She'd pay herself a fee to be in the ads, plus she paid her children fees to appear in ads. It costs thousands of dollars to airbrush her because she's a size 10. Plus, they spent a ton of money on body doubles. They would shoot another model in the clothes, and take Kimora's head and put it on her body."
Hmm, kind of excessive to pay you and your children a fee to model, no? Personally, I would've loved her anyway as a size 10 so that airbrushing cost wasn't needed either.
Still, the quote from a "source" sounds like an insider with more than a little animosity toward Kimora. If they were truly doing budget cuts, couldn't they have demanded that Kimora no longer pay herself and her children to model, or used other models in the ads? And with all the revenue that Baby Phat brings in, was an airbrushing cost and model fee so expensive that they had to let the Creative Director go? They didn't need to cut her off from the company especially since she's such an integral part of the brand.
I, for one, am eager to see how the brand will continue without Kimora, and for the very fabulous things I'm sure she has up her sleeve.
What's your prediction for the future of Baby Phat without Kimora? Do you think airbrushing and model fees are valid reasons for giving someone the boot? Discuss.
Kisses,
Coutura
