We were lucky to catch up with Christina Lim recently and have shared our conversation below.

Christina, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I was working a 9 to 5 job at the family business. They were not satisfied with the pace at which my costume design career was panning out to be so they reeled me into their Amazon project. I stayed for about six years and decided I needed to be back on track with my dream of being a costume designer. The Asian-first-child guilt was definitely present and struggled to make the jump but once I did, I felt like I finally can be in control of the career I dreamt of.

My toe into the film industry was as a production assistant (PA) on a tv show that my friend had worked on and passed me the designer’s email address. I was at the right place, at the right time, with the right people. I had emailed the designer asking if they were seeking a PA. Luckily for me, their previous PA had just left the show and they were in need of a PA, the path I thought I needed to take to become a costumer. I worked on the show for about one and a half seasons. I was offered job as a PA from another production but turned it down because it did not align with the next step to “upgrading.” A couple of weeks later, I was given the opportunity to be an assistant stylist for the panelists on “Thursday Night Football.” Which lead to my current job as a costumer on “General Hospital.”

By taking a leap of faith and not accepting one job offer or project, it can open another door that is better aligned with your goals. It’s never too late to start a new journey, it’s daunting but it’s so worth the endeavor.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always loved fashion and dreamt of being a fashion designer ever since I was little but after my eight-grade orchestra trip to New York, I fell in love with costume design after watching “Phantom of the Opera”. I went to UCLA where I studied Theatre, Film & Television emphasizing in costume design and honed my love for the arts and costumes. After graduating in 2013: I designed short films, assisted on feature films and worked as a product assistant on various projects. For several years I worked on American Film Institute and UCLA student films to gather work for my portfolio. But, my passion for costume design had to put on hold when my father decided to establish a new business: L.Christina, Inc. My father is a handbag and purse manufacturer as well as a wholesaler. He created his brand BRENTANO in 2001 and has sold his purses nation-wide and all-over South America. Family is very important to me and since my parents needed an extra hand, I put my passion for costume design on hold and went to work with my family. As much as I love costume design, my parents worked really hard to provide a better life than they had, and I wanted to help them to show the same love and support that was poured onto me. Also, I truly believed that if costume design is something that the Universe has in mind for me, I will find my way back to the world of storytelling. While working with my parents I tried to do weekend gigs, whenever I could, to keep art and costume design a part of my life.

I wear many hats within the wardrobe world. I am a costume designer, stylist, costumer, on-set costumer, and shopper. Working my way up from nothing has given me a perspective that I believe helps me resolve problems that arise and think quickly on my feet. Whether it’s a wardrobe malfunction on live TV that you have to fix within seconds or shopping for last minute changes in a city I’ve never been. One of my proudest moments was while working on “Thursday Night Football.” One of the talents had lost a pearl decoration on her glove and because the frame was going to show the gloves fairly often and up close, I stepped in during the break and fashion taped the pearl back on. Getting the nods from the crew was very validating. I am very detail oriented and work hard on my craft. Every struggle that I’ve faced are lessons that I bring to my next project.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Honestly, it’s doing what I love and meeting/working with amazingly talented people. I’ve enjoyed every face I’ve encountered and every story that comes along with that acquaintance. Being able to use my craft to bring people’s stories and ideas to life is a blessing. I love that each new project I take on is another role that I have to embody. Each team is different from the dynamics to the setting. Morphing into whatever the job title requires and creating the world that the characters I help bring to life is quite the rewarding process. But besides my career as a wardrobe guru, I have always relied on art to not only bring peace but to express my thoughts. For me it’s painting, drawing or sewing, art communicates in multiple ways that brings people together and I find that beautiful.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I have jumped over a lot of hurdles on this road to becoming who I am as a designer. My parents were the ones who taught me about resilience. Their “American Dream” story exudes resilience. Their vigorous journey from Korea to Venezuela to Panama to Miami and lastly to Los Angeles has given me the perseverance to pursue my dreams. I worked many sleepless nights on zombie movies and crunched-schedule music videos to indie feature films and low budget photoshoots to get to where I am today. I’ve made some mistakes along the way, but who hasn’t? I did not let those failures define who I am and always learning how to become a better designer and team player.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinalimlimlim/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinalimlim/

Image Credits

Screenshots from “Magdalena” and “What We Need”