To say Kelly Killoren Bensimon has lived many lives would be an understatement. A former model, fashion editor, top-selling author, and reality television personality, the mother of two is now thriving as an award-winning real estate broker. And she’s just getting started.
“I started modeling when I was 15,” Bensimon tells GRAZIA Gazette: Hamptons. “Back then, modeling contests were the way to find talent. I entered Elite Model Management’s ‘Look of the Year’ and I was runner up to Cindy Crawford.” She became the face of Ann Taylor at the age of 16, and her career took off from there.
Being chosen as the face of French cosmetics company Clarins, shooting for some of the most prestigious fashion magazines in the world, and working with legendary photographers like Patrick Demarchelier has been a whirlwind. Bensimon says, “There have been a few pivotal moments for me… Modeling exposed me to the most talented designers and the most beautiful interiors in the world.
After moving from her native Illinois to study at Trinity College, Bensimon later transferred to Columbia University. Then, the multi-hyphenate powerhouse attended Northeastern University for her MBA and was accepted to the ultra-competitive NYU STERN for her Executive MBA in real estate and fashion.
She wrote a recurring column for Hamptons Magazine and segued to her first coffee table book. “Writing anthologies like In the Spirit of the Hamptons for Assouline was a natural progression for me. I’ve always loved the Hamptons and I wanted to celebrate those who have made the area the most exclusive vacation destination in the world,” she explains. Bensimon ended up writing American Style for the publisher in 2004, and The Bikini Book in 2006. In the Spirit of the Hamptons was such a success, Assouline launched a second edition in 2013 that remains one of the publisher’s top sellers to this day.
“I’ve been journaling all my life,” Bensimon reveals. “It was a way for me to process what I was learning and a way to catalog my feelings and memories.” She also stretched her writing muscle as a fashion and accessories editor for glossies such as Elle Accessories, released a nutrition book (I Can Make You Hot! The Supermodel Diet), and even dipped her pen into fiction. Novels such as A Dangerous Age from Simon and Schuster “were a sneak peek into the incredible world of the art world and publishing world,” she says. For her next book, Bensimon plans on pulling back the curtain on the real estate market. “It’s an incredible business with spirited characters,” she hints.
Through it all, Bensimon sees “lifestyle” as the continuous thread throughout her career. “I sell lifestyle,” she says. “I celebrate brands with partnerships like One Ocean Beauty, Veronique Gabai, Splits59, to name a few.” She’s designed her own outerwear line, Enville with Pologeorgis, for five seasons now, and has sold seven different jewelry lines at luxury department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, the now-defunct Barneys New York, and HSN.
Then, of course, there’s RHONY. In 2009, Bensimon joined the cast of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York City. A series favorite for three seasons, Bensimon still keeps in touch with some of her cast mates. “I see a lot of Luann in the Hamptons, and Jill in Florida,” she says.
Still, despite her history as a Renaissance woman, Bensimon’s latest evolution was probably her most surprising yet. As her mother declined in health years ago, Bensimon says, “she asked me to help sell our family home. It was a bittersweet moment for me. My mother always knew what was best for all of us and pushed us to do what we are good at. She was ahead of her time and an incredible forecaster. My parents molded me and made me who I am today. I feel very lucky to be who I am.” The rest is real estate history.
Now building and leading the Kelly Killoren Bensimon Team at Douglas Elliman, Bensimon has landed some of the most exclusive listings in New York, the Hamptons, Palm Beach, Miami, Aspen, and Paris. “I represent the most incredible building in New York and the most prominent properties,” she says.
“I’m so proud of my team and how diversified they are.” With trust as her most treasured virtue, she explains, “[Clients] trust my taste level and recognize how important their transaction is to me. I always get the best deals done, and I’m proud of that.” Buying and selling some of the most beautiful properties in the world, while still writing about “the best of the best in fashion, beauty, and accessories,” Bensimon says she’s “a synthesizer of information,” always making sure to curate an accessible approach to a luxurious lifestyle. She promises, “It’s been an incredible journey and I’m just getting started!”
