Kelly Bensimon

Kelly Jean Killoren Bensimon, born on May 1, 1968, in Rockford, Illinois, began her career as a model in her teenage years, appearing in magazines such as Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Harper’s Bazaar. She was also the face of Clarins. Bensimon pursued higher education, attending Trinity College, Connecticut, and later graduating from Columbia University’s School of General Studies in 1998 with a degree in Literature and Writing. She furthered her academic achievements by completing an MBA with a focus on International Marketing from Northeastern University in 2015.

Her career expanded significantly beyond modeling into television and publishing. In 2009, she joined Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York City” as a full-time cast member for seasons 2 to 4. As a writer, Bensimon authored several books, including “In the Spirit of the Hamptons” (2 volumes), “American Style,” and “The Bikini Book” for Assouline Publishing. Her fourth book, “I Can Make You Hot,” was published in 2012, followed by the novels “A Dangerous Age” in 2016 and its sequel, “The Second Course,” in 2017. She also contributed as a style columnist for AM New York and served as editor at large for Hamptons Magazine and Gotham Magazine. Bensimon was the founding editor of Elle Accessories, overseeing two issues.

Throughout her career, Bensimon launched several jewelry collections, with pieces sold at Barneys New York, Bloomingdale’s, and Intermix stores. In 2013, she released a fragrance, “In the Spirit of,” and a candle line, “Baiser Rose.” In 2019, she introduced an outerwear line, Enville by Pologeorgis. Transitioning into real estate, Bensimon joined Dolly Lenz Realty in New York in 2018 and subsequently moved to Douglas Elliman in 2019. She has also made appearances on “Million Dollar Listing New York” and starred in the fourth season of “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip” in 2023.