Kelly Killoren Bensimon : an American lifestyle icon

Kelly Killoren Bensimon : an American lifestyle icon

by Raffaella Quieti Cartledge – ph: Emanuele Fiore

The New York Times counts her as one of the ‘most fabulous tastemakers’. But millions know her as a noted Author, Model, Actress, influential Editor of Elle Accessories, Spokesperson, Real Estate Salesperson and Philanthropist. Kelly has made a career editing fashion, style & lifestyle with her own insights gleaned from years spent growing up in the fashion, entertainment and real estate industry. Known for a refreshingly modern sensibility, Kelly translates trends and contemporary culture for the public with a unique take that is fresh, playful, and always accessible

Kelly, how do you keep fit and healthy and how have you kept fit and healthy at this challenging time ? 

Exercise is a part of my life. When I was a model working in Europe, I ran the streets every morning. It’s how I became acquainted with those beautiful cities.

During the quarantine I moved my college-age girls to Palm Beach. We were allowed to go outside for walks and runs before 9pm. Daily, I also started doing 1,000 sit-ups with trainer Sam Yearsley. Sam, from Soul Cycle, has been such a good influence on our family that my oldest daughter wrote her college essay about his incredible impact on her.

The crisis has reset my mindset. I’m not taking anything for granted, and I’m focused on being better overall. The quarantine also taught me to be more self-sufficient and less selfish – that’s always a good lesson.

What are the main themes/messages of the books you wrote ? 

My strongest takeaway from I Can Make You HOT, is to treat ourselves better. We starve ourselves or gorge. We need to treat our bodies like they were a high-performance car. I used the term Ferrari and I love cars.

Even though being called HOT is seen as a compliment, it can be damaging to those who aren’t ‘placed’ in that category. I redefined HOT and created the acronym (HEALTHY OPTIONS TODAY).  To me, no one should define someone as hot. I wanted everyone to realize they are inherently HOT. I just wanted them to feel that they really are. Maybe it was because I needed to feel that way and teach myself a lesson. Everyone needs a food uniform or food stability, in my case, to keep me on track emotionally.

My book The Second Course highlights the beauty of the food world and its possibilities. There is a lot of hardship that affects those in the food world. It’s a lonely yet poetic world. I loved shadowing the masters of the universe in the food culture in New York City. Farm to table is such an incredible concept that has become such a huge phenomenon in the US.

When I wrote The Second Course, I was tired of hearing about how you have to be skinny to be cool and/or attractive. I was annoyed by how undemocratic eating good food had become. I just wanted to savour the exotic flavours and the obvious raw talent. Everyone knows you need to eat well if you want to take care of your vessel. And I also wanted to tell the story of a woman who finds love through her own passion. And she leaves the bad decision makers to make more bad decisions. 

The idea of friendship is what I wanted to explore in my first novel, A Dangerous Age. That’s why I took my characters to so many workouts. I wanted my characters to do things together, celebrate, and show off how New Yorkers live in this amazing city. It’s cool to have real friends you can trust not just for a few months, but for a lifetime.

The quarantine showed us all that we need a reset. When you understand your limitations, you become more comfortable in your own skin. The new book I am writing reflects some of these sentiments.

Can you reveal your n.1 ‘beauty secret’ ?

I’m a huge advocate of clean beauty with One Ocean Beauty and I’ve just become more clued into who creates the best of the best in beauty and food. I want my skin and body nourished. It’s a big part of anti-aging.

One Ocean Beauty is a breakthrough, sustainable, scientifically-proven beauty and wellness company. Its formulas use powerful marine ingredients from the world’s oceans, selected for their unique properties. The ocean is their inspiration and conservation.

The sustainability of these products is paramount to me.  Packaging is recyclable where facilities exist. The products are cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified. The company has made substantial contributions to the charity Oceana. 

It’s important to feel refreshed when you wake up and tired in the evening. We should be using our days wisely to help those who can’t help themselves, be better, abolish discrimination, do what we love!

Kelly Killoren Bensimon

Born and raised in Rockford, IL, Kelly became a model at age fifteen, gracing the pages/ covers of magazines such as ELLE, SHAPE, PLAYBOY, amongst others globally and then moved East where she began studying at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. 

She then moved to New York City to finish her B.A. at Columbia University, graduating in 1998. She attended Northeastern for her MBA, and is headed to NYU Stern for her Executive MBA in real estate and fashion.

After Columbia, Kelly began writing for Hamptons Magazine. While there she wrote two renowned columns, “In the Spirit of the Hamptons” and “Most Wanted.” Her column founded the “In the Spirit of the Hamptons” series for influential publishing house, Assouline. “In the Spirit of The Hamptons” (2001) remains one of the company’s top selling titles. The second edition was published in 2013. She then helped Niche Media create and launch Gotham Magazine in 2001. Kelly’s social anthologies include: American Style (2004) The Bikini Book (2006) In The Spirit of the Hamptons I (2001) and II (2013) with Assouline Publishing. I Can Make You HOT (2011) with St. Martin’s Publishing. In June of 2016, the Author, released through Simone & Schuster, A Dangerous Age, followed by the sequel, The Second Course in 2017. Dangerous Age and The Second Course were just reprinted in German in July 2019.

Bensimon has always had a passion for Real Estate stateside & abroad which led to her becoming a Real Estate Salesperson in 2017. Kelly provides native-level access of New York where to find the best shopping, dining, drinking, and entertaining in the most exclusive neighbourhoods.  She grants access to how and where the most discerning New Yorkers live.

Presently, Kelly works with the Holly Parker Team 2 at Douglas Elliman in both commercial and residential real estate in New York City.

Philanthropy has always been paramount to Kelly’s DNA. She is the celebrity ambassador for Generosity Water, and sits on the Directors Council for Food Bank for NYC. She also supports the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and has served as a Friend of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute. A portion of the proceeds for her book, American Style (2004) were directed to the Costume Institute. She also supports Madison Square Garden’s Garden of Dreams.

Kelly is an avid equestrian and a wellness advocate who is a single mother raising her two college aged daughters and dog, Fluffy, in New York City.