Fashion Your Seatbelt

Chriselle Lim is many things at once: a pioneer of digital fashion storytelling, a serial entrepreneur, and a woman who has built a career by evolving in the public eye with intention and integrity long before “creator economy” became industry shorthand.

From the early days of The Chriselle Factor to her impressive transformation of the fragrance brand Phlur, which she bought, rebranded, and recently successfully sold – while remaining on board as the Creative Director of the company – Chriselle has consistently sat at the centerpoint of style, business, and modern womanhood. She has proved that influence, when done well, is less about visibility and more about vision. Her journey speaks to reinvention, resilience, and the courage it takes to build something that reflects who you are now, not who the algorithm expects you to be.

She is a woman who turned storytelling into one of the most talked-about fragrance reinventions of our time with Phlur. Chriselle didn’t just relaunch a perfume house; she translated life itself through its fragrances — heartbreak, resilience, memory, identity — into bottles that speak louder than any trend. Chriselle’s journey is as nuanced as the aromas she crafts. Forget technical top notes — she begins with emotion, using fragrance as an extension of self-expression and personal narrative.

In our decidedly candid conversation, we talk openly about growth—personal and professional—about building brands with emotional intelligence, and about what it really means to lead in an industry that rarely slows down. It was a wide-ranging, honest, and open girl talk that proved without a doubt that Chriselle is a woman with both vision and purpose.

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🎬 Thank you to Studio Wacked in Paris for the support of my French-based podcast episodes https://wacked.fr/ and Poddster https://dubai.poddster.com/ and Procast https://procast.ae/ n Dubai for their amazing studio and team where these episodes are recorded:

Drop me a DM: @jessicamichault or just old school email me.📝 My website: https://jessicamichault.com
Connect with Us:
✅Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicamichault
✅Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicamichault

You might also like:
💟https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB6DwlT70eM
💟https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3humRELI5E
💟https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQyQN7Yq7HQ

#fashionpodcast #podcast #podcastdesigner #designer #designerpodcast

More About Jessica Michault:

Jessica Michault is an award-winning journalist, public speaker and Fashion, Luxury, Beauty consultant. She is an expert on the Middle East luxury market and has launched multiple luxury publications in the GCC.

Michault's 60 Second Fashion Reviews were one of the first to bring fashion show criticism to the social media sphere, and her in-depth, one-on-one interviews with some of fashion's leading movers and shakers, via her Fashion Your Seatbelt podcast, have created another avenue for fashion lovers to connect with the industry.

She spent 16 formative years working side by side with the renowned fashion critic Suzy Menkes, as the Online Style Editor of the International Herald Tribune, before taking C-suite positions in leading luxury publications like ODDA magazine, NOWFASHION, and Antidote magazine, and taking up the role of SVP of Industry Relations at Launchmetrics. Over the years, she has consulted with brands such as Miu Miu, Boucheron, Mulberry, and the Puig group, and her articles have been published in The New York Times, Business of Fashion, and throughout multiple Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar magazines across the globe.

Nadine Kanso is a pillar of Dubai's creative community. Born in Beirut, the Lebanese designer has called the city home since the year 2000. And over the past quarter century, she has become one of its most distinctive and beloved creative voices. A talented photographer, a recognised fashion muse, and someone with an innate gift for interior design — Kanso is a born artist in the fullest sense of the word. But it is jewellery that has become her most powerful form of expression.

In 2006, she founded Bil Arabi — a jewellery house built on a single, heartfelt premise: that the Arabic language is one of the most beautiful things in the world, and that it deserves to be celebrated. Better yet, worn. Drawing on her background in graphic design and her deep love of calligraphy, Kanso began transforming Arabic letters and words into handcrafted jewellery. Messages of love, strength, and beauty — rendered in gold and precious stones — worn as declarations of identity by a devoted following across the Arab diaspora and far beyond it.

Nearly two decades on, Bil Arabi is considered to be one of the region’s most prominent jewellery houses. With Kanso being tapped for collaborations with leading international luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Berluit and Guerlain and being named a Forbes Middle East Fashion Innovator in 2024.

In our conversation, we explore what it means to build a luxury brand around cultural reclamation — and how she has stayed true to that original vision while growing Bil Arabi into an international name. We also talk about the particular kind of resilience it takes to be a female founder in this industry, what it means to her to represent the region on a global stage, and why, after twenty years, the Arabic language still has more to say.

Kanso's story is one of identity, artistry, and wearing your heart on your sleeve, with a message carved in golden words of love and self-acceptance.
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🎬 Thank you to Studio Wacked in Paris for the amazing support of my French-based podcast episodes https://wacked.fr/ and Poddster In Dubai for their amazing studio and team where this episode was recorded: https://dubai.poddster.com

💌Drop me a DM: @jessicamichault or just old school email me.
📝 My website: https://jessicamichault.com

Connect with Us:
✅Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/jessicamichault
✅Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicamichault

You might also like:
💟https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB6DwlT70eM
💟https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3humRELI5E
💟https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQyQN7Yq7HQ

Thank you for watching this video, click the "SUBSCRIBE" button to stay connected with this channel. "Nadine Kanso: Reclaiming Arab Identity Through Calligraphy and Fine Jewellery - Jessica Michault"

#fashionpodcast #podcast #podcastdesigner #designer #designerpodcast

More About Jessica Michault:

Jessica Michault is an award-winning journalist, public speaker and Fashion, Luxury, Beauty consultant. She is an expert on the Middle East luxury market and has launched multiple luxury publications in the GCC.

Michault's 60 Second Fashion Reviews were one of the first to bring fashion show criticism to the social media sphere, and her in-depth, one-on-one interviews with some of fashion's leading movers and shakers, via her Fashion Your Seatbelt podcast, have created another avenue for fashion lovers to connect with the industry.

She spent 16 formative years working side by side with the renowned fashion critic Suzy Menkes, as the Online Style Editor of the International Herald Tribune, before taking C-suite positions in leading luxury publications like ODDA magazine, NOWFASHION and Antidote magazine and taking up the role of SVP of Industry Relations at Launchmetrics. Over the years, she has consulted with brands such as Miu Miu, Boucheron, Mulberry and the Puig group, and her articles have been published in The New York Times, Business of Fashion and throughout multiple Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar magazines across the globe.

Model and poet Farnoush Hamidian has that unquantifiable something, what the French call je ne sais quoi, that only fashion’s most iconic muses possess. All eyes turn towards her when she enters a room, and anyone who has seen her walk a couture catwalk can confirm she dominates the runway with a presence born not just from beauty, but inner strength.

Born in Iran, Farnoush’s path to the world’s biggest fashion stages has been anything but straightforward. It’s a story threaded with courage – of leaving home, of finding her place, and of redefining what beauty looks like on her own terms. In an industry that’s still learning to celebrate difference, she has become something rare: a woman who embodies both mystery and meaning.

Farnoush, whose face has graced the cover of Vogue Arabia, Emirates Woman and L’Officiel, has collaborated with brands like Dolce Gabbana, Cartier, Tiffany Co, Chaumet and L’Oreal. And walked the Paris Couture runways, most notably as a muse for Stephane Rolland, not to mention the red carpeted steps of the Cannes Film Festival. But behind the editorials and couture fittings lies a deeper narrative — one about resilience, identity, and the power of representation.

In a time when the fashion world is finally beginning to open its eyes to diverse forms of beauty, Farnoush stands as both muse and mirror. Reflecting a new generation of women who are rewriting the definition of elegance. Today she is using her voice and her platform to champion a more inclusive and thoughtful vision of beauty. From the quiet discipline of her early years to the creative freedom she’s now embracing, Farnoush has proven herself to be so much more than just a pretty face.

The debonair Alexis Mabille is a renowned French designer known for his innovative work in both fashion and interior design. Born into a big family, he learned early from his mother how to sew clothing, dressing both friends and family in his creations.

Later, he would enroll in the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, graduating early because of all the hands-on sartorial experience of his childhood. From there, he worked at prestigious fashion houses like Ungaro and Nina Ricci before being tapped by John Galliano to come work with him during his time at Dior. He also collaborated with Hedi Silmane during his tenure at Dior Homme.

Finally, in 2005 Alexis decided to launch his signature brand and found fans in artists like Dita Von Teese, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga. He gained a reputation for pushing the envelope when it came to the idea of unisex dressing and turned the bow into the signature motif of his maison, making it a modern fixture of fashion. He would also go on to explore interior design with his equally successful company BEAU BOW Paris.

In this episode, Alexis explores his approach to building a lasting legacy as he begins a new chapter with his signature brand. Also, we examine what it truly means for originality to transcend market trends and whether creativity alone is enough to make a lasting impact in today’s fashion industry.

As always, Alexis is full of stories, full of insights, and full of fun.

There are fashion designers, and then there are couturiers – those rare artists who understand how to sculpt emotion from fabric or create drama from a single silhouette. Stéphane Rolland is one of those exceptional few.

From the moment he stepped onto the haute couture stage, Stéphane made it clear that he wasn’t interested in playing it safe. His signature collections are bold, architectural, and cinematic – full of sweeping trains, sculptural volumes, and unapologetic glamour. His creations don’t just walk into a room; they command it.

But behind the red-carpet-ready gowns lies a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. A graduate of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture and the youngest ever Artistic Director at Balenciaga, Stéphane brings a razor-sharp technical skill to the visionary designs of his eponymous fashion house. He is a master of cut, proportion, and impact – dressing women like Beyoncé, Celine Dion, and Queen Rania with the kind of elegance that refuses to go unnoticed.

Based in Paris but with an eye always on the world, Stéphane merges the discipline of haute couture with the sensibility of sculpture and the drama of the stage. Each look is a story – powerful, feminine, and unforgettable.

Stéphane Rolland doesn’t just design clothes. He creates moments.