Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
This month, Who What Wear is celebrating its 20th anniversary. To commemorate two decades of spotlighting tastemakers and style leaders, we're dedicating October to guests who have shaped the fashion industry and cultural conversation since Who What Wear's inception. Up first is Chriselle Lim!
Lim, one of the first major fashion bloggers, got her start in the industry while studying fashion at FIDM in Los Angeles. "I had ambition to become a wardrobe stylist because that was really the only way to get into fashion at the time," Lim said. "I soon and quickly learned that I was horrible with math and realized that that was not for me." While in school, Lim ran her blog, The Chriselle Factor, on the side.
Since launching her career as one of the earliest creators and bloggers, Lim has ventured into new areas, including her fragrance business, Phlur. For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Lim sat down with Hillary Kerr to share how she got her start in the fashion industry, what those early days of blogging were like, and more.
To read excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.
While I am, obviously, deeply and intimately familiar with your entire backstory, for our audience, for anyone who doesn't know, can you talk a little bit about how you first got interested in fashion and what your fashion background is?
I started off in college in my dorm room. I was studying fashion. I was going to FIDM in L.A. I had ambition to become a wardrobe stylist because that was really the only way to get into fashion at the time. I soon and quickly learned that I was horrible with math and realized that that was not for me. I figured that I would go more onto the visual side, which is styling.
I was studying, and I had the blog, The Chriselle Factor, on the side. There were just a handful of us, like Aimee Song, Sincerely Jules, Bryanboy, Sea of Shoes. It was just an exciting moment because we were on the internet purely for pleasure. We were there just to have a creative outlet and to show off how we're putting our looks together and sharing with each other what we're wearing.
What were some of those early moments when you felt like the industry understood what you were doing? … Clearly, there were brands that did get it because they were putting you in the front row.
It was early on, and it was at Ralph Lauren, because it was the huge house. Before, it was maybe smaller designers, brands that would invite us. I think that was one moment and then, obviously, when we had that press moment with WWD. That one was like, "Okay, people are really paying attention to us." Also, I think the biggest shift was … in Europe because Europe was a little slower, right? Actually, a lot slower. I think it took about five years, three to five years later, for them to start inviting bloggers.
I think one of the most important things for anyone to have a long and fruitful career is to diversify. You have diversified beautifully. I want to talk about Phlur. What made you interested in getting into the wonderful and wild world of fragrance?
I never thought I would be an owner of a fragrance brand or even have a fragrance business. I've always loved fragrance. I've always appreciated it. I wore it every day, but truth be told, it never crossed my mind. It was the right moment in time for me, as I was going through a life transition with my divorce.
I was familiar with the brand Phlur, as I actually had a few of their fragrances that I loved. I got introduced to Phlur when I was pregnant because I was super paranoid of putting fragrance on my skin, given that I don't know what's in the fragrance, right? But Phlur was one of the very first brands, at the time, that would list all their ingredients.
When the opportunity came that they were putting their business on sale, my business partner was like, "I want to do this with you. I think we could create something really cool with this brand, Phlur." For me, I already knew Phlur, respected the brand. I said, "I have nothing to lose. I'm starting over. What if this works out?" If anything, [it] could be a fun distraction for me while I was going through a very hard period of my life. I was able to pour so much of my own personal stories through each scent that we made and created.
What is an outfit that you wore on repeat in 2006?
Probably Hervé Léger bandage dresses.
What about now?
I'm always in my low-rise jeans, which is funny because baggy jeans were in back then and [are] still now. I'm usually in my Celine Boyfriend Jeans almost every single day.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.