the newest style icon: meet lily farr
Interview Conducted by Daphne Bryant
Who is Lily Farr, and how did fashion instagram become so fascinated by her? I aimed to answer these questions and others like it when i interviewed the style icon herself, and trust me: you’re in for a treat. lily and i touched on everything from finding one’s personal style to asian representation, and you can read all about her and her incredible work below.
Q1: Lily! For anyone not familiar with your work, give us a crash course! How old are you, where are you from, and what do you do?
A: Hey there! I’m 20, from Pennsylvania, and I do content creation. Well, I like to say I do outfit videos more than that. Saying“ content creation” sounds too official and kitschy to me. Mostly everyday, I try to post a little edited video of my outfit with a song behind it. I’m big into vintage and sustainable fashion, and to me sharing styles or brands that I’m inspired by is all part of the fun!
Q2: How did you get into fashion and content creation?
A: You know, it’s funny that you ask that because I really only got into vintage clothing because of someone I was seeing earlier in 2024. But [only crediting that] would be a disservice to my years of eccentric dressing throughout middle and high school. I’ve always been into clothes and have admired costumes I saw on characters or people in the media I watched as a little kid. A big contributor was my obsession with Monster High dolls, who were always dressed to the nines.
As for content creation, I’ve been on TikTok for years and practically grew up with the app. So when my traction on it started slowing down this past fall, I decided to share my daily outfit videos on Instagram. I thought it’d be a great way to share the brands and styles I so adore to a wider audience, as well as a good learning opportunity for someone who is currently minoring in marketing communication and wants to do fashion marketing post-graduation.
Q3: If your style was a playlist, what five songs would you put on it?
A: Geez, that’s a tough one. My pick of favorite songs is always changing but I’ll choose these 5:
“ Halah” by Mazzy Star
“ Majorette” by Beach House
“ National Anthem” (Demo Version) by Lana Del Rey
“ How Can I Make It Ok?” by Wolf Alice
“ Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)” by The Hollies
Q4: Speaking of your personal style, it is so distinct and evocative! How did you develop it and what would your advice be to anyone struggling with their own?
A: That’s so kind of you! I’ve come a long way with figuring out my personal style, like I said, and it’s something that’s still always changing. A lot of people think finding one’s own style is [a stagnant thing], that it must stay the same after you discover what you like, which I totally disagree with. I find it important for people wanting to experiment more with their clothes or tastes to consider what colors, patterns, silhouettes, styles, and time periods they gravitate to most. For example, start out with a blank Pinterest board and save any photos whose style you admire. From there, you can analyze what you like on a general scale and then find brands that match that style. Also, I’m a big advocate for shopping secondhand, sustainably, or small! Most styles from eras past can be found at any thrift store, it just takes time searching and sifting though the bulk of items there. And if you’re struggling with figuring out where to start, I would look to any influencer or celebrity whose style you like and see which labels they wear or who their stylist is!
Q5: How, if at all, do you think your Media Studies major and marketing communications minor play a role in the way you brand and market yourself?
A: I’m already on social media a bit as a Gen Z-er and I practically grew up with the internet, so applying the knowledge I learn in school when marketing my own‘ brand image’ is a cool way to get some experience in digital marketing. I take classes on understanding consumer behavior and media messages, which I find super interesting as a consumer myself with such a marketable online presence of my own now. I never in a million years expected to be in this unique position, trust me!
Q6: You’re super involved in Emerson College’s ASIA organization, and the co-director of its’ accompanying magazine Lunchbox. What does it mean to you to be an Asian content creator in the DIY fashion and entertainment space, and in what ways do you think you may be providing representation?
A: It’s one of the most important reasons why I share my interests online with other people, to provide representation and inspire other people who may share backgrounds similar to mine. I was adopted from China when I was a baby and have lived in the United States my whole life. I rarely saw Asian, much less adoptee, representation in the media growing up and I still find it somewhat rare even now. Becoming involved with ASIA was one of the best decisions I could’ve made after coming to Emerson. I have three other adopted siblings, which is more than most adoptee children can say, and finding other Asian adoptees through the club has been amazing. Working for Lunchbox has also been great in finding other Asian creatives who are eager to share their stories as well. It’s funny to me how I’ve found these groups of incredible people at such a small school and in such a short time. Suffice to say, I hope to be one of the many emerging stories for creators with unique backgrounds.
Q7: Outside of school and social media, you’ve also worked with editorial and portrait photography. What’s that been like for you? What do you like about taking photos?
A: I’ve always been a visual learner and being able to explore myself through photography is an experience like no other. First working with my brother’s old Canon camera in middle school and then analog in later high school classes: there’s a certain charm about learning its different mediums and styles within them. I was first drawn to editorial photography because of the glitz and glamor it showcased. There are so many cool photos that I’ve discovered from Pinterest and being able to recreate them with my own materials is a lot of fun.
Nowadays everyone is a photographer, even if you don’t consider yourself to be one. A large majority of the world possesses a phone or tablet of some kind that can capture moments with a portable camera. Even those without a device experience life through photographic memories that they capture with their eyes to look back on and reminisce. With photography now being more accessible than ever, it takes a certain will to pick up a camera and try out the century-old medium for oneself.
Q8: You’ve expressed that you are super passionate about promoting small brands and businesses who prioritize sustainable practices. Why is sustainability so important to you?
A: The boss of the vintage store I currently work at described it best when she told me,“ the best clothes have already been made.” I grew up shopping all the mall brands like Pacsun, Urban Outfitters, and Forever 21, but once I started thrifting just before the pandemic I discovered how much waste fast fashion brands like that really produce. There are billions of tons of textile waste being circulated throughout the world at any given moment, so shopping secondhand and from small, independent sellers or shops has really given me clarity on how to be a more mindful consumer. That’s not to say I don’t make mistakes of my own, though. When doing my yearly closet cleanout in years past, I’ve been guilty of throwing clothes in the trash just to quickly get rid of them. I now know how damaging that is for the environment and the adverse effects it has on global climate change, choosing instead to give old clothes to donation or textile recycling centers. Shopping sustainably is a luxury that not everyone has the time or resources to learn about, but if I can at all bridge that gap and help bring more awareness to these topics, then I’m more than happy to!
“Shopping sustainably is a luxury that not everyone has the time or resources to learn about, but if I can at all bridge that gap and help bring more awareness to these topics, then I’m more than happy to!”
Q9: While doing some stalking, I peeped that you’ve dabbled in writing as well! What sorts of things do you like to write about?
A: I mainly write prose about my life, experiences, and identity. I only started sharing my written work about two years ago, when I made a small zine for myself and friends called Heart’s Content. It encompassed experiences very personal to me, like my first breakup, and was the first time I was able to see writing as something else other than a tool to be assigned for school assignments. I began writing at a very pivotal moment in my development as a young adult just beginning to be exposed to real world experiences, at a time when everything I did or thought felt uncertain. I had been journaling for some months before then, but was never very thoughtful or precise with my diary entries. Writing freely in a format such as prose has felt really liberating as an academic not bound by word limits or writing structures, and, more than that, it’s allowed me to become a more introspective person, a trait I highly value.
Q10: Finally, what are some of your personal and career goals for 2025?
A: Oh gosh, that’s a great question. Well, every year I try to better my consumption and I have ups and downs, but this year I really want to confront my shopping addiction. I’m victim of piling up the online orders for that instantaneous gratification once the package is opened and also just buying unnecessary stuff in stores just for the sake of it. Whenever I’m bored in Boston and don’t feel like doing my schoolwork I go and walk on Newbury Street, the famous shopping street. Nowadays, I only really browse in those big name stores, but every now and then I do impulsively buy some makeup product or tiny accessory I don’t really need. This year I want to stop that altogether and instead focus my attention on doing other interests such as content creation, reading, and writing. As for my career, I would love to keep finding and meeting new people in the greater Boston area. Creative industries thrive and hinge upon networking, and I think it’ll be so much fun to continue meeting other people with similar interests for collaborations or just as a new friend!
