Kelly Jean Killoren was born in Rockford, Illinois. She began working as a model at the age of 15.
She attended Trinity College, Connecticut as a member of the Class of 1990, but left after a year. She graduated in 1998 from Columbia University School of General Studies with a degree in Literature and Writing.
Bensimon began her modeling career in New York City. She has appeared in magazines such as Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Harper's Bazaar. She was once the face of Clarins. She is the editor at large for Hamptons Magazine, a free weekly with circulation of 40,000 to 50,000 and Gotham Magazine.. Both publications are owned by Niche Media. She became the founding editor of Elle Accessories Magazine, and left after two issues. She authored several books including In The Spirit of the Hamptons, American Style, and The Bikini Book. American Style was edited on her Blackberry. Kelly also wrote a column in Page Six Magazine called The Socializer: Kelly Killoren Bensimon. amNEWYORK, a local New York newspaper, which has a circulation of 1,000,000 readers a day, announced Bensimon's new column which will appear every Thursday in Keith Kelly's New York Post media column.
Bensimon has been host of the IMG fashion week, and of the IMG swim shows in Miami. She was a spokesperson in 2006 for Wool as part of their Test Marketing Productions (TMP);. Bensimon has hosted and modeled in menswear events with GQ magazine. She was also an "ambassador" for Spring 2007 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Bensimon's first line of jewelry was uniquely made with fishing lures and was sold exclusively at Barney's New York. Her second line of jewelry was sold at Bloomingdale's in fall 2007.
Bensimon appeared on the cover and in a six-page pictorial in the March 2010 edition of Playboy magazine, which was photographed by her ex husband Gilles Bensimon in August of 09 at Milk Studios in New York City. There has been a lot of speculation about when the photos were taken, but a younger version of Kelly was heavier and had short blond bobbed cut hair.
On June 24, 2010, Bensimon announced the launch of her 4th jewelry collection, Kelly by Kelly Killoren Bensimon. The collection will mix metals, leather, feathers and crystals and will be sold at Intermix stores across the U.S to support FEEDING AMERICA.For Spring 2011, Bensimon's jewelry collection is sold at Wink, W hotels, and Dash.
Bensimon authored three books with Assouline Publishing. In the Spirit of the Hamptons, American Style, and the Bikini Book. A portion of the author's proceeds are donated to the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Bensimon's 4th book "I Can Make You Hot " with St. Martin's Press is slated for April 2012 release, as in available for pre-order. A portion of the author's proceeds are being donated to GENEROSITYWATER.ORG/kellykillorenbensimon to build clean water wells all over the world.
In September 2011, Bensimon was on the cover of SHAPE and was featured in a pictorial based on her exercise routine. She also opened the NASDAQ on September 1, 2011 to promote the cover.
Bensimon has an online shop on www.Opensky.com, where she suggests fashion/accessories brands which she wears, at a discounted rate.
Not only did Bensimon appear and was featured in a pictorial in the December issue of NEW YORK's AVENUE magazine, but she is now the guest EDITOR for the January and February issues, where she edits, writes, and photographs her interests in fashion,beauty, arts, music, and philanthropy.
[edit]The Real Housewives of New York City
Bensimon appears in Season 2, 3 and 4 of Bravo's reality show, The Real Housewives of New York City. She appeared in the Season 3 episode "Sun, Sand and Psychosis", which was filmed in St. John. The filmed 'altercation' between Frankel and Bensimon is the highest-rated episode in 'Real Housewives of New York' history, coming in at 2.4 million viewers.
Bensimon was the third wife of French fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon. The couple have two daughters, and divorced in July 2007.
