Celebrity Stylist Chris Kim on Pride and How to Break Fashion Norms

It’s a pretty fabulous time to be Chris Kim. The former fashion editor turned A-list celebrity stylist is fresh off the heels of a slew of memorable work events, like the Met Gala and celebrating client Travis Barker’s nuptials to Kourtney Kardashian in Portofino, Italy. Since leaving New York for Los Angeles to pursue a freelance career, Kim has picked up a handful of tricks along the way—like how to be your own tailor, how to fit your entire look into a selfie, how to wear vintage jeans for every occasion, and more.

His best advice, though, comes from within: “All rules are meant to be broken—even the styling ones.” Kim, a minimalist at heart, insists that fashion is built on confidence. In other words: If it makes you feel good, it probably looks good, too. It’s a biblical type of style wisdom that may not seem like a new piece of information to anyone who knows their way around the endless cycle of trends. But for Kim, and his clients, it’s a way of being that is ever-present and obvious throughout his body of work—from his Instagram to the influential people he dresses.

Below, we chat to the stylist on Pride month, his jewelry-for-all philosophy, and the Mejuri piece he can’t live without.

Tell us a time where you used fashion and/or accessories to break the rules or do things your own way.
I remember the time when skinny jeans were still trending and everyone was wearing them, including myself. One day, I was just over how I felt in them, especially during the summers and I decided to find myself some wider pants. It honestly felt weird at first, since everyone was still wearing tight jeans, but it felt amazing to not have sweaty thighs anymore. Look at it now, everyone is back on it.

What does Pride mean to you?
Pride means loving myself authentically and embracing all of my imperfections. Don’t get me wrong, there are many days I still question and doubt myself, but I know that’s part of the journey of life. Also, growing up as a first generation Korean-American, there were times growing up where I felt I wasn’t good enough, good-looking enough, interesting enough since I never saw myself represented in the media so just embracing my culture and being proud of my upcoming is something that I’m really proud of. I’m always trying to uplift and support other Asian-Americans.

What are you listening to right now?
My current playlist consists of Dua Lipa, Maggie Rogers, Harry Styles and Haim.
Bucket list item for summer?
A good summer suit for the upcoming weddings.
Favorite Mejuri piece and why?
The Single Diamonds Line Mini Hoops. I can’t live without them.
What is your superpower?
My laugh. Some people find it awful and some people find it hilarious, but it seems to always come up in conversations.