The renowned fashion, food, lifestyle and travel blogger gives us a glimpse into her incredible job
When it comes to a lifestyle blog that is as aspirational as it is beautiful to look at, www.peonylim.com is one of those rare finds that takes the partnership between informative editorial and eye-catching imagery to the next level.
With a polished, sophisticated and chic aesthetic, the Fashion Promotion and Art History graduate was first snapped by street style photographers outside her university. In November 2010 she launched peonylim.blogspot.com, a year later she opened her online boutique and since then, has seen her Instagram subscribers sky rocket to over 56,000 loyal followers. Writer, creative, social media consultant and luxury brand ambassador, we caught up with the inspirational blogger and businesswoman to ask her about her career journey, her top tips for anyone aspiring to do what she does and for a glimpse into what a day in her life entails.
GTG: Could you describe for us the ins and outs of your job? What does a typical day look like for you?
​PL: I wake up, do my first round of SM and emails in bed before getting dressed and taking the dog out. I will work at my desk most of the morning if I am in London, replying to the endless stream of emails, getting pieces ready to go live, and editing any images I need.
Often in the afternoons I have meetings, normally in lovely cafés across Kensington. I meet with brands, creatives and PRs and we normally have coffee and discuss future projects. I will have international calls normally towards the end of the day as I have quite a few Asian and American clients that I connect with. Around 5pm I take my dog for an hour’s walk, which is the closest thing to exercise I know. When I come back it's normally straight to my desk for another few hours at least - I have been known to regularly to work through till bed. ​Other nights I have work events and head off to drinks or supper parties, celebrating launches of products or openings. I will often go with a friend and get a late drink or supper with them after. Otherwise if I get lucky, I have a night off for guilty pleasure TV and home cooking.
On a shoot day things are totally different. I will wake up super early to let my body and mind wake up fully before we shoot. I would have styled all of the looks the night before, prepped any recipes and scouted locations. We start shooting at 10am normally when the light is good - we will cover the food first, then eat it for lunch which is fun! After lunch I change and we go out shooting looks for the fashion side. Sometimes we will take the whole day and drive to locations for a special editorial. Thumbelina (my dog) comes with me!
GTG: What were your first steps into the industry? What was your pivotal moment?
​PL: Chance - I was captured by street style photographers going into uni (which was based at the same location as Fashion Week). Being featured on sites like style.com, Vogue and Vanessa Jackman were what made me. ​
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GTG: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
​PL: The launch of my online shop was a dream come true. ​
GTG: What’s the most challenging project you have worked on?
​PL: The redesign of my site. It’s always ongoing to keep it fresh. ​
GTG: What motivates you?
​PL: Myself, I think I just care a lot about doing my best. ​
GTG: How do you organise yourself?
​PL: I am naturally a bit of an organisation control freak. I would be lost without my iPhone though, which stores everything. I have no paper copies of my schedule. ​
GTG: What's the most interesting thing you've learned from writing your blog?
​PL: Being yourself is more important than anything else. You can’t be a leader if you’re still trying to follow. ​
GTG: What's your advice for anyone aspiring to do what you do?
​PL: If you’re not afraid, you’re not trying hard enough.​