Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Lim.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My name is Suji Lim, but most of my friends know me as Christina. The Christina that was Venezuelan born but Miami bred. Explaining my personal sojourn would make no sense without any preface from my parents’ own journey. My parents moved to Caracas from South Korea hoping to one day live in the United States of America to fulfill their “American Dream.” After some years in Venezuela, we eventually moved to Panama after my father received a promotion. Working vigorously day in and day out, my father was able to find a way for us to live in Miami, Florida where I quickly learned that being a minority would be a daily struggle for me. I was one of a handful of Asians at my elementary school – with one of them being my sister. Attendance roll call would give me anxiety as a kid because my name was not a “normal” American name and I would often wonder to myself, “now how is this teacher going to pronounce my name?” A Korean girl who spoke Spanish was bizarre and different.
As my teacher introduced me to my fellow ESL classmates, all the kids were whispering and staring: baffled by who was in front of them. I remember one kid asking “¿Oye, por qué estás aquí?” (Hey, why are you here?), I was asking myself the same question. Vividly remembering the ridicule and teasing that I endured while living in Miami has given me the perseverance and motivation to tackle other obstacles in my life. That is not to say there have been kind and loving people as well, but somehow you end up remembering the harsh memories just a little bit more. Waiting for my mom to pick me up after school was something that I looked forward to most of my days. It was normal for me to come home crying because the kids at school would call me “sushi” and constantly pester me about my looks and uncommon name. Ironically, as an adult, I now absolutely adore sushi, and little but I did I not know what a great nickname that actually was. I would look to previously printed-paper and color pencils to draw my nerves away – paper and pencils were my rocket ship to travel to another dimension where no one could hurt me. Art was my escape. I have always been drawn to art and relied on art to express my thoughts and feelings. Thus why I feel very passionate about the arts because I, first-handedly, know-how art cures the soul. Art has and will always be a part of who I am.
My devotion to art comes hand in hand with fashion. I dreamt of being a fashion designer ever since I was a little girl. I would render fashion sketches and style myself with my mother’s clothes and have a runway show in my hallway. My love for picking out my outfits for school the night before, styling pieces from head to toe, was a glimmer of fashion I could add into my daily life. Daydreaming about going to Paris and rubbing elbows with Karl Lagerfeled and Gianna Versace was far too common. But that changed after my eighth-grade orchestra trip to New York, where I fell in love with costume design after watching Phantom of the Opera. I just remember the awe and thrill I experienced watching a live theater performance. I couldn’t take my eyes off the beauty and wonder of the craftsmanship that created the jaw-dropping scenery in front of me. I knew I had to be in that world of imagination and magic. That led to UCLA where I studied Theatre, Film & Television with an emphasis in costume design and honed in my love for the arts and costumes.
After graduating in 2013, I designed short films, assisted on feature films and worked as a production assistant on various projects. Unfortunately, my passion for costume design was 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 throughout South America. Family is very important to me and since my parents needed an extra hand, I put my zeal 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 they give me. Also, I truly believe that if costume design is something that the Universe has in mind for me, I will find my way back to it and the world of storytelling. While working with my parents, I try to do weekend gigs whenever I can to keep art and costume design a consistent part of my life.
Has it been a smooth road?
“So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Life is always going to throw roadblocks your way to test you. Most people do not have it easy and have to fight and work hard for what they want. I have overcome lots of impediments, but I truly believe that the hardships have made me a stronger person. I had to, and sometimes still have to, persevere over the stigmatism of being a minority: being different. But I have learned throughout my struggles that being different is not something to be ashamed of but rather an attribute to be proud of because I am unique. Fighting the stereotype of being a submissive academic Asian girl has been tough since my parents still wanted me to do well in school, but my heart has always followed the arts.
This idea of social class and career choices are heavily looked upon in this world; it has been a constant struggle of deciphering which path I want to take or the questioning of if I could do both arts and business without compromising one another. My life has always been torn between arts and logic. I am still in the battlefield and hope that someday in the near future, I will be at a happier place with my choices in life.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
L. Christina, Inc is a Korean owned business. I am very proud that we are a family-run small business. Our office and warehouse are located in Downtown Los Angeles. Brentano is a professional supplier of high-quality vegan fashion handbags and backpacks. Currently, we sell purses, handbag accessories, backpacks and personal protective equipment on Amazon. Our fundamental basis for our company has been and always will be about quality and affordability. We are passionate about creating the finest handbags with the newest and trendiest designs. We believe that you do not have to compromise style for affordability. From the brainstorming and designing to the manufacturing of the product, we bring to our customers the hottest and most up-to-date trends. The unexpected and chic designs of our bags will complement the stylish outfits of your everyday life.
Our designs add that “cherry on top” to your bold apparel. We create for fashionistas of all ages who dare to be different! Our business helps ease the process of creating a team to execute the manufacture and distribution of fashion products. Our company will aid your business with our esteemed designers and professional and affordable manufacturing team. We strive to create your products with our utmost reliable care and meticulous attention. We work to ensure a fast, affordable, and trustworthy designing, manufacturing and trading alliance. We are a reliable one-stop supply chain solution, with a promise of providing a flawless and efficient, high-quality product.
I manage the administrative functions, create appropriate documentation for members of the board and facilitate communication. I oversee our Amazon & eBay accounts including customer service, marketing, inventory restock, product research, photography and photo editing. I am frequently called up on to solve
problems that arise such as infringement reports, abuse reports, and competing sellers. I am responsible for clerical work and communicating directly with international clients and manufacturers in South America and Asia. I also assist the head designer with creating renderings and mockups of potential designs and creating presentations.
Costume design is my forte. I design costumes for actors whilst collaborating with directors, producers, and other designers. I research and develop pitches to producers and directors, providing either style sheets or costume renderings for the whole team to understand my thoughts and ideas. My proficiency in keeping a costume bible with the bookkeeping of the looks, scripts, budget, out-fit changes by scenes, continuity photos and notes is second nature. I have on-set experience and have successfully designed theater shows, short films, music videos, photoshoots and feature films. I have PAed on TV shows and assisted costume designers on feature films as well. I have worked on sets as a Costume PA on The Biggest Loser, Criminal Minds, Sing It! and Andi Mack. I love distressing clothes and getting into the mind of the character to see what they would do to their clothes or what circumstances would make the clothes have wear and tear. Distressing is my favorite technique, and I love the brain-teaser of picking into the character’s mind and actions. I am very detail-oriented and love that film can capture the smallest of details.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Seeing my work on a big screen always brings so much joy but one of the short films I worked on with Merlin Camozzi “What We Need” was one of my proudest moments. I was at the movies and unexpectedly saw the short film play as a trailer before the feature film, which was very heartwarming for me. I remember being gobsmacked as I saw the clothes I designed come to life on the big screen. It was so surreal because I had heard that Sprite Films was being shown at theaters but the luck to see the one I worked on was very fulfilling. Also, producing my first photoshoot with my colleagues Rachel Nakawatase, Ryan Bertschart and Britt Flatmo was another proud moment in my life.
Contact Info:
- Address: 931 E. Pico Blvd. Suite 117
Los Angeles, CA 90021 - Website: https://www.amazon.com/stores/B+BRENTANO/page/22CEFD25-B64A-4D29-B3F1-E0A2306371F6?ref_=ast_bln
- Phone: 2135365918
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinalimlimlim/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/l.christinainc/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/l.christinainc/
Image Credit:
Dmitry Shumanev, Rachel Nakawatase-Betschart, Ryan Betschart.
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