Up Close with Real Housewives of NY Stars Alex & Simon

Up Close with Real Housewives of NY Stars Alex & Simon

StyleWeekProvidence was not only frequented by local fashionistas, stylists, buyers and press; in town for the events Friday and Saturday were stars of the Real Housewives of New York City Alex McCord and her husband Simon VanKempen. Both met StyleWeek founder Rosanna Ortiz Sinel in New York City at a Jonathan Joseph Peters event and they became part of the amazing phenomenon in Providence as Style Ambassadors.

Real Housewives and More

Alex is known as the fiesty redhead on the show, with a passion for fashion and family. Her equally en vogue husband Simon is a character in his own right and Bravo will be premiering as yet unnamed webisodes of Simon’s own spinoff show, airing sometime in February.

In addition to the super popular Real Housewives, Alex and Simon are bestselling authors of Little Kids, Big City: Tales from a Real House in New York City, a comical and realistic approach to raising kids. “This book not only applies to parents of children in cities, but parents everywhere,” Alex told me in the StyleWeek VIP room at the Biltmore.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Providence Bound

This is not Alex and Simon's first trip to Providence. "We actually stayed here one night on our honeymoon!" they remember fondly. Sons Johan and Francois, 5 and 7, enjoyed some quality kid time at the Providence Children’s Museum and the skating rink at Kennedy Plaza and the family stayed at the Hotel Providence, just a few blocks away from the main fashion events.

When asked about being involved with StyleWeek, the answer was simple: “We really enjoy supporting local fashion,” Alex explains. “It isn’t just about New York, Milan, London and Paris anymore. There are really talented designers in other cities and it is great to be part of that.”

Fashion Forward

Simon and Alex were the VIP guests at the shows on Friday and Saturday, including the showstopping finale by Jonathan Joseph Peters. They enjoyed front row seats and endless streams of fans wanting photo ops.
As far as Real Housewives gossip, Alex and Simon refused to tell me which woman is the “thug in a cocktail dress” from the preview on Bravo but Alex did say “this is our best season yet.” The show premieres on Tuesday, February 15th.

From Becky: On a personal note, I am a huge fan of the Real Housewives of New York City, as well as the other Real Housewives franchises. I found both Alex and Simon to be relatable, kind, generous and really fun. With more books in the works and other projects brewing, this is a couple to watch!