The year of living positively

IT'S BEEN A MILESTONE YEAR for Rachel Lim, the dynamic co-founder of homegrown fashion brand Love, Bonito...the kind of year where the rule of three - when positive things happen in threes - springs to mind. Over the past 12 months, she has given birth to a baby boy, completed a move to a new home, and secured funding for the business to expand - to the tune of US$50 million.

At least two of those three things were cause for sleepless nights - plus there was the small matter of operating a retail business during a global pandemic. By all accounts, though, Lim has powered through with some panache.

Lim wears Love, Bonito - and also her heart on her sleeve. She shares all of the above and more on social media posts (@ms_rach) with her 120,000 followers because, well, that's what young, attractive and influential entrepreneurs do. Her husband, interior designer Leonard Lee, is a somewhat bemused co-star in her videos on parenting, fitness regimens and moving house. Lim is her own best brand ambassador who has, in just 15 years, hurdled the divide from tiny blogshop selling pre-owned clothes for pocket money to multimillion- dollar fast-fashion enterprise with a growing regional presence.

It hasn't always been plain sailing and Lim, 34, has endured some rough patches in her personal and professional life. But hard work, good timing and the ability to plug a gap in the market - plus an unwavering sense of self-belief - can upset the odds. "Having a great product is super important too," she says.

Love, Bonito was born in 2010 (rebranded from the original BonitoChico) and on the occasion of its 11th anniversary in August this year, Lim posted: "It's been a wild ride. The one thing I am most grateful for and proudest of is the collective community that we have built - our beloved team and our customers. You have all kept me going, especially through the tough times."

In terms of fit, function and price point, Love, Bonito resonates with its Asian female target audience. Lim describes the typical LB customer as a multi-faceted working woman, between 25 and 35 years old, "on a journey to becoming a better version of herself - what we do has the power to influence every aspect of her life."

Making women feel good about themselves through the clothes they wear is only one part of a larger plan. The latest injection of funds (by Chinese investment firm Primavera Capital Group) follows an earlier funding round by Japanese online retailer Kakaku.com and will allow LB to broaden its base to countries like the Philippines, Japan and the US, and also to move beyond fashion.

"We really want to take the brand global, reach out to Asian women all over the world, to make a difference," says Lim. "Love, Bonito is not just in the business of fashion, we're ultimately in the business of women." She adds, "The funding allows us to expand beyond fashion to verticals that cater to everyday women - such as wellness - so we're really excited about what the future holds." In addition, LB Create, the company's social impact programme, aims to help girls in low-income communities in Asia.

Says Lim: "In my journey, I learned two things: have the right people on board at the right time, and always stay close to your community and customers." She adds, "One important lesson I've learnt in my journey is to surround myself with people smarter than myself in different disciplines."

Lim's immediate future involves coping with motherhood and raising her one-year-old son, Oliver, whose arrival has caused some major ripples. "Personally, I'm still trying to adjust to the role of being a new mom, juggling work, family and self," she says. A major challenge she faced during the past two years, where work-from-home and not being able to travel were default settings, was simply trying to deal with the pressures of daily life.

"There was the uncertainty of everything, of malls closing and consumption dropping - I missed being able to carve out the physical space to be by myself," she says. "So, I went for long walks to clear my mind." Luxury for her means having the time "to breathe, check-in with myself and regulate".

Her husband, meanwhile, was accustomed to travelling frequently for work on hospitality projects around the region. "Before Covid-19, I was travelling four times a month but now if you ask me to pack a suitcase, I will struggle," says Leonard Lee, 48. "On the flip side, I got to spend quality time with (son) Ollie."

Lee recalls that the last trip the couple took together was in November 2019, to a beach resort in Sumba, Indonesia. Post-pandemic, he intends to head to Japan, where he's working on a Banyan Tree hotel in Kyoto designed by Kengo Kuma. "I just love the food, the attention to detail in Japan - whatever they do, the service is always top-notch." He adds, "I look for restaurants with a combination of good ambience, service, food and drinks - I love my cocktails. In Singapore not a lot of places deliver on all aspects, though some come close."

Lim says they are both huge foodies but readily concedes that her husband is the better cook. Proof appears in the form of the spread he's prepared for the BTLuxe shoot in their new East Coast residence, which is significantly larger than their previous home, to accommodate Lee's parents moving in with them. Dishes include a signature sausage pappardelle, bruschetta and two salads. Only the fresh oysters and chicken pie have been ordered from outside vendors. "Although I'm not passionate about cooking - I love eating," she says.

This Christmas will naturally revolve around Ollie, friends and family. As a very young girl, Lim remembers receiving Roald Dahl books as gifts - books still have a special place in her heart. "Nowadays, our gifts to each other are very practical, like vouchers for massage sessions," she says.

Many boxes on her bucket list have already been ticked: exotic destinations, skydiving and hot air ballooning among them - even going to an Arsenal football game. At the top of the list of course is the wish for Love, Bonito to become a truly global brand. "And meeting Oprah," she adds. Lim has always been moved by a good idea or quote that could be applied to herself, such as this one from Socrates: "The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."

The next year will bring fresh challenges, and possibly another rule of three. "I intend to spend time and energy only on the necessary," she says, pledging "not to be distracted by or comparing myself to others, and to continually build mental resistance to win the battle in my mind." For emphasis, she reels off another motivational quote (this time from Henry Ford): "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right."