Kidada Jones Biography

Kidada Ann Jones (born March 22, 1974) is an American actress, model and fashion designer. Jones works as a designer for The Walt Disney Company, where she has a line known as Kidada for Disney Couture. Jones is the daughter of composer Quincy Jones and actress Peggy Lipton.

Early life

The elder daughter of composer/arranger Quincy Jones and actress Peggy Lipton, Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. Jones was raised in Bel-Air, with her younger sister Rashida Jones, who is now an actress and screenwriter. Their father is African American. According to DNA testing and research done for African American Lives in 2006, he has more than one-third European ancestry, with some present on both sides of his family. Two-thirds of his ancestry is African and, in his mother's direct maternal line, his ancestors can be traced to the Tikar people of present-day Cameroon. Their mother is the daughter of an artist and businessman, both from Jewish immigrant families (from Russia and Latvia). Jones attended the Los Angeles Fashion Institute for Design and Merchandising, and left at age 19 to work with designer Tommy Hilfiger.

Career

Kidada Jones began working as a celebrity stylist for her father's publication Vibe magazine. She gained attention when she styled Michael Jackson for the cover of Vibe in 1995. She was recruited by designer Tommy Hilfiger, who launched a successful ad campaign centered on Jones and a group of her friends (including Aaliyah, Tamia, Kate Hudson, Nicole Richie, and Oliver Hudson). She worked as his muse for eight years. Jones' fashion work included designing a clothing line for Snoop Dogg for three years. Jones also appeared during this period as a model in such fashion magazines as Elle, Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar.

Since 2005, Jones has been working with Walt Disney Company, designing for Kidada for Disney Couture. W magazine described this as "a line of clothing and jewelry for adults sold at boutiques" and said that Jones acts "as a conduit to hip tastemakers the brand might otherwise miss." According to Jim Calhoun, Disney"?s executive vice president of consumer products, North America, "Kidada is not just one of those people that points out what"?s cool. She has a real hand in making things cool." She also consults on Disney projects.

In 2017 Jones published School of Awake, a book meant to empower young girls. Jones appeared on Oprah Winfrey's OWN Super Soul Sundays.

Marriage and family

Jones was married to Jeffrey Nash from 2003 until 2006, and they have remained friends.

Jones dated LL Cool J from 1992 to 1994. He mentions their relationship and breaking up with her because of her spiritual beliefs in his book I Make My Own Rules.