KIMORA LEE SAYS BOW DOWN: "BEFORE US THERE WASN'T ANY BEYONCÉ, SEAN JOHN - WE REALLY LAID THE BLUEPRINT"

Renowned fashion executive Kimora Lee Simmons recently discussed her take on today's biggest stars entering the apparel game and how she helped pave the way for modern day business moguls like Diddy and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

In Simmons' perspective, her and ex-husband Russell Simmonsare largely responsible for proving they could take the fashion world by its neck and run with it.

Kimora says that she and Russell were fashion trailblazers and paved a way for other celebrities to create fashion empires. "Before us there wasn't any Beyoncé, there wasn't Sean John orJustin Timberlake, there wasn't Jessica Simpson. There wasn't any of that," Kimora said. "We really laid the blueprint for that. One thing I love about myself is this business is that I don't have to rely on the sales of an album, or my movie being a hit for my clothing to be a hit." (The Grio)

Back in 2011, Kimora spoke to SOHH and discussed how she came up in the fashion game.

"I have kids, businesses I started up with Russell, and so I think it's a little bit different. I could be her auntie. And then again, Russell is not an artist [like Kanye], he's more of a rap mogul. ... For me, I kind of grew up with Russell. I met Russell when I was very young. Not like now, he dates girls who are very young but he's a lot older. I was young, he was young too. We had grown together, we were married, we had children, we had a family and many businesses that we created together. So personally speaking, I have learned a lot from Russell as far as him being a mentor and being the man he is. He has taught me a lot and helped me so much with everything that I ever have done and that I will ever do in the future. He's a great friend and a great mentor." (SOHH Guest Star)

Just last month, Beyoncé landed a $50 million deal with Pepsi.

In an expansion of the recent marketing experiments that have brought PepsiCo ever closer to the music industry, the company has embarked on a hybrid project with Beyoncé that will include standard advertising like commercials as well as a multimillion-dollar fund to support the singer's chosen creative projects. "Pepsi embraces creativity and understands that artists evolve," Beyoncé said in a statement. "As a businesswoman, this allows me to work with a lifestyle brand with no compromise and without sacrificing my creativity." (New York Times)

Last year, Diddy spoke on topping Forbes' annual richest hip-hop artists list over longtime friend Jay-Z.

"I'm usually at No. 1," Diddy said in an interview. "Our plan was to always flip-flop on it. This was the year I told him that we had to flop it back to its original owner. We push each other, we inspire each other. It's just a beautiful relationship of natural competitiveness. But you know, it's back at Bad Boy." (Hot 97)