Photo: Mark Iantosca
You’ve heard of the woman who lived in a shoe. Samantha Lim, of Fashion Indie, lives surrounded by them—and a few other fashionable things.
“I’ve always loved clothes,” she says, referring to the garment racks and reams of shoes, bags, jewelry and other colorful, bedazzled bling that virtually dominate, albeit super-stylishly, her Manhattan studio. “People come into my apartment and say I have tons of everything, but I don’t feel like I go shopping all that often.”
It’s just one of the inevitabilities—or perks, depending on your perspective—of working in fashion. “My style is very eclectic, and it changes and evolves, especially because I watch so much of the market. There’s so much inspiration and so many styles that I want to try.”
But her collection has become more than simply a bunch of really cool stuff any girl would swoon over. Some personal articles are now part of her professional repertoire.
“A few years ago I started styling and picking up pieces from the Garment District and archives. I’ve helped designers merchandise their lines, so there are certain items I’ve always wanted to hold on to,” she explains about past jobs, which have combined fashion consulting, styling and brand development and strategy. “And now we style so many shoots for Fashion Indie that it’s great to be able to add a few pieces from my own collection.”
The conclusion? “I guess I kind of live in a closet,” she says, suggesting acceptance of what was never intentional and is now quite purposeful. “When I first moved to New York I lived in half a living room in a one-bedroom apartment with three people, and I felt like I lived in a closet. And now that I have my own place with lots of closets and I still have garment racks and shoes and jewelry everywhere, I feel like I’m just destined to always be inside a closet.”
THE LOOK:
Scarf: Alexander McQueen, top: LF: shorts: BCBG; shoes: Alexander McQueen; sunglasses: Elizabeth and James
“I just got this Alexander McQueen scarf in this cool orange color. It’s kind of a splurge scarf. Whether it’s a $10 pashmina or a $400 designer scarf, they all serve the same purpose—you can make dresses, tank tops, head wraps and bags out of them. My favorite type of scarf is the kind that doubles as a blanket."
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“Living in New York, it’s always key to be day to night. It’s always about layers, accessorizing, mixing and matching, and experimenting with your outfits because you don’t ever want to not be able to do something because of what you’re wearing. At the same time, you always want to look good and feel confident. Having jackets, light sweaters and layers in different materials and textures is essential. I probably wear three-quarters of my closet year-round.”
THE LOOK:
Dress: Elizabeth and James; jacket: Diesel; bracelets: Living Royal and Hermès; watch: Glam Rock
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“One day my mom came over and straightened up all my shoes, and I decided it is so much cooler to have them out like this. The girls in my office who share my shoe size love it when I get rid of my shoes, which is constantly. There’s anything from a $2,000 pair of Alexander McQueen shoes to a $50 pair of Jessica Simpson shoes in here. I don’t discriminate when it comes to the brands.”
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“My newest hobby is this studded bag. A friend of mine did this—she does really great studding. I love remixing things. My Louis Vuitton bag is such a cool vintage bag but I thought it would look even cooler with gold spike studs on it. It gives it a modern look that’s different even though the piece was already classic and beautiful. I’m going to have her stud one of my paintings and maybe a few other things, too.”
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“A lot of my outfits are very transitional. They might not be the most appropriate for every situation, but they are appropriate for every situation. My style has a lot to do with my lifestyle. I’m always on the go in New York and I have to be ready from 9 a.m. to midnight, with no breaks to change in between.”
“My necklace is from a woman who makes these really cool custom dream catchers based on your personality. They’re made with different kinds of antique jewels, charms and gemstones like turquoise. She even tells you about your energy!”
THE LOOK:
Flannel shirt: BDG, top: Blood is the New Black; jeans: Black Denim; shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti; necklace: H.O.W.L .(Handle Only With Love)
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“This organized chaos is my life. My apartment used to be an artist’s studio, and this closet was the artist’s office. So what was once the area for the computer desk is now shelves filled with bags and jewelry. I give away tons and tons of clothes. That’s one of the things that’s so great about fashion—you can recycle it. But I do think that one of the requisites to working in the fashion industry is that you have to be a natural hoarder.”
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“These are amazing. They are by a street artist named Charles K Williams. They look like little stoned aliens—they’re kind of kid whimsical but still really badass, which is a good way to describe my style. The artist actually named them and signed the back. I think one is Drunk Rabbit and Alien Robot, which I thought was even cooler.”
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“I wear shorts all the time. I actually didn’t realize this about myself until my staff pointed it out to me. And then I looked at my shorts pile and it was about 30 pairs deep, and I thought, wow, you’re right—I have so many pairs of shorts! In the winter I wear them with black tights. I have a ton of really cute wool and tweed shorts that I just rock all the time.”
“Louise Manna makes the coolest body and chain jewelry. She was one of the first designers to introduce me to body jewelry. This necklace is actually one of her more subtle pieces, shockingly.”
“I got these bracelets at the cutest store [Erica Weiner] that sells the coolest vintage jewelry. They found a giant bin of antique nameplate bracelets that date back to the 1960s when everyone was named Doris and Norma. These bracelets are so funny and kind of kitchy, but back in the day they were just nameplate bracelets that drug stores sold. I desperately searched for a Samantha, but they didn’t have one.”
THE LOOK:
Jacket: Zadig & Voltaire; top: Calvin Klein; shorts: Levi’s; boots: Plomo Shoes; sunglasses: Gucci
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“These Manolo Blahnik shoes were the first giveaway we did at Fashion Indie. I was profiling the brand Ruffian for Fashion Week and I did a piece documenting them 24 hours before their fashion show. They did a shoe collaboration that season with Manolo Blahnik, so after the show all the models autographed the bottoms of the shoes and we gave them away as part of an online contest. I got to keep a pair. I think they’re dainty and kind of timeless.”
“I got these cowboy figures at the grocery store. I painted them white and thought it would be really cool to put them on a white canvas, as if they’re fighting against each other. The idea was that it would just be white on white and look like cool textures from far away. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“My style is pretty feminine with a little bit of cool. Pairing things that are delicate, like sheer silks or nipped-waist dresses, with a bit of toughness, like studs or snakeskin, is a fun way to make things my own. These sunglasses I'm wearing remind me of Johnny Depp in Willy Wonka.”
THE LOOK:
Dress: Envy Me; sunglasses: Prada, necklace: Erica Weiner; shoes: Alexander McQueen
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“I love shoes, bags, jewelry and accessories... and jackets and dresses and skirts... I don’t think I’m the bag girl or the shoe girl—I think if I was then Fashion Indie would be a very different thing.”
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“Red, white and blue is fun to wear if you can do it in a not-so-serious way. I don’t get to wear blazers or dress pants too often because I have a more casual work environment, so it’s nice to be able to dress up and feel a little bit grown-up at times. This look is really nice for a summer cocktail party.”
THE LOOK:
Blazer: Armani; pants: Elizabeth and James; bag: vintage Chanel; earrings: Louise Manna
Photo: Mark Iantosca
“I feel like Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface when I wear this dress. It has really great draping and a good amount of material. I bought it because I have a silver jumpsuit by Rachel Roy that basically looks like this dress. I had worn it to a disco party. When I saw this dress I thought, this is the sister to my disco party jumpsuit. I have to buy it! So I did. I love a feminine silhouette—a tiny waist, a strong shoulder and long lines.”
THE LOOK:
Dress: Foley + Corinna; shoes: Christian Louboutin
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