Running four businesses is challenging enough- doing it in a pair of nine inch Louboutins is just another day for Lilly Ghalichi.
They say beauty and looks will only get you so far; but for this woman beauty and glam gets you it all. Lilly Ghalichi became instantly memorable when she stepped onto the scene of Bravo’s reality show ‘Shahs of Sunset’ in one of her impeccably put together ensembles – coordinating everything from her designer lashes to her perfectly pedicured toes. When it comes to glam, this girl never misses a beat. Realising the potential of her OTT glam life, she utilises her adoring fan base to help build an instant following to her businesses, we like to call the #Ghalichiglam effect.
At first glance you might be quick to cast this Persian Barbie doll off as another privileged social butterfly with a future in endorsements and paid appearances before her, a path fairly predetermined by her reality TV beginnings. With her bandwagon of infatuated followers enraptured by her every post, tweet, outfit suggestion and selfie- it’s only fair some of us might assume LG is simply a part of the Hollywood it crowd, running with the a-league and lapping the attention until she is benched for the next big thing that rises to overnight fame.
Whatever the assumptions, truth be told serious business potential lies in the lap of the woman with such a cult following. And for Lilly it’s that very following, coupled with her background in Law and business (Yep, she used to be an Attorney!) that led to her uber success and in the fashion and beauty industry. Lilly now heads swimwear, jewellery, cosmetics and apparel lines, each with millions of adoring customers worldwide ready to ‘totally die’ for what she might do next. Crazy right? Or genius?
Photographed on the daily, Lilly is usually snapped hopping out of a Bentley toting a luxury handbag and bedazzled in diamond jewellery, so it came as a surprise to us that she was brought up just a regular girl in a struggling household. “I did not have a golden spoon in my mouth growing up, in fact just the opposite. My parents were immigrants who spoke no English and tried at least 10 different businesses before they found success as Entrepreneurs. Seeing them struggle but never give up moulded my ambition and drive in life”.
We caught up with the self-confessed workaholic just days after NYFW where she showcased her WML clothing collection. The super affordable-meets high end designs of WantMyLook received glowing reviews by critics- and the best part? We can actually afford it!
Still on a fashion high from the NYFW buzz, Lilly explained to GCMAG, “I had so much excitement for this moment. So much work went into it- a culmination of two months of solid work and planning.”
But who can forget the moments we were first acquainted with Lilly on Shahs of Sunset, exposing the ups and downs of her friendships with cast members like Reza, MJ and GG. The budding entrepreneur admits tensions grew between herself and the others by her choice to place personal business endeavours before her commitment to the show. ‘I was not like the others, I don’t really like to party or drink so I was kind of the odd one out. They all knew each other for years. We lead very different lives”.
We know what you’re thinking – So why did she go on the show in the first place then!? Lilly candidly explained, “Fame is the least important aspect in why I do what I do. They asked me to be on the first season to which I said no. I decided to go on the second season because I saw it as great exposure and a platform to help grow my businesses. Money is not everything, but the feeling as a woman to make money and watch your success and businesses grow is just so rewarding. It’s contagious”.
For now, the super busy fashionista is busy blogging, designing and building her Ghalichiglam empire one pair of ‘Swimgerie’ and ‘Lilly Lashes’ at a time. Shop all her labels and follow her blow on the website .
www.lillyghalichi.com.
