After a childhood spent travelling the USA as an accomplished horseback rider, 2015 saw Jaime Xie undergo a rather different change of pace – swapping the saddle to launch her self-titled fashion and lifestyle blog, JaimeXie.com. Using the platform to share her love of high-end fashion, 2018 saw the blog and social following go on to exceed the 100K mark.
With her taste for all things luxury allowing her to jet set around the world attending exclusive events hosted by Gucci, Rolls Royce, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, Cartier, Dior and Prada, we tracked Jaime down between her various locations of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York to take part in our latest Fast 50.
Here, she chats everything from raising chickens with her brothers to getting started in luxury fashion Instablogging…
Missed the last articles in the 50 Questions series? Click the links to read interviews with Aretha La Galleta, Jayde Archives‘ Jayde Scukovic, Kelly Hill, and Salty Luxe.
1. Best beauty product of all time? Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Hyaluronic Serum. It’s so hydrating and makes me feel refreshed and glowy!
2. Five beauty products you can’t live without? Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer, Marc Jacobs Dew Drops Coconut Highlighter (I love to mix this with the Armani Foundation), Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk Lipstick, and Lash Star Visionary Lashes (I don’t wear mascara and these lashes are really beautiful and look so natural!)
3. Hair “done” or messy? I always love my hair done and pulled up
4. Favourite fragrance? Gabrielle Chanel
5. Favourite item of clothing? I have far too many favourites and it’s constantly changing because I’m always buying new things, but right now it would probably be this amazing fur bomber jacket from Fendi
6. Favourite fashion brand? Alexandre Vauthier, Saint Laurent, Alessandra Rich, Paco Rabanne, Balmain, Fendi, Zimmermann… and the list could go on!
7. Gym or exercising outdoors? Neither! I’m a Barry’s and SoulCycle addict. I go 5-6 times a week with friends and it’s such a good workout and so much fun!
8. Healthy eating or treating yourself? Healthy eating! I try to eat everything organic, raw, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free
9. Can you cook? Yes! But I prefer getting my food from Erewhon, Moon Juice or going out with friends. Whenever I cook, it’s usually something healthy like smoothies
10. Favourite food to indulge in? Anything with chocolate!
11. First thing you pick from the mini-bar? Water
12. Best place to eat out? Crustaceans in Beverly Hills. My friend owns it and it’s family-run. The family are the sweetest people and, of course, the food is also insanely delicious. The garlic noodles and coconut ice cream are to die for!
13. Happiest moment? Any time I’m surrounded by family and friends
14. Saddest moment? When I’m away from family for a long time
15. Blog or YouTube? Blog! But, I did just start doing a bit of YouTube and I’m liking it so far
16. iPhone or camera? Camera
17. Type of camera? Canon 5D Mark IV
18. Facetune or untouched? Untouched
19. Lightroom or VSCO? Lightroom. I also love Snapseed
20. Favourite filter? I don’t really use filters because I prefer a more natural edit, so I usually just play around with light/exposure, shadows and colour correction
21. Favourite way to edit pics? I don’t have a specific way I edit pics as each one is different. When the lighting is nice, most of the time the pictures from my photographers turn out so good straight from the camera that I barely have to add any edits
22. 9-5 job or full-time influencer? Full-time influencer
23. How did you first get your start in Instablogging? It started a few years ago when friends and family encouraged me to share my love for fashion and find a way to capture my style to share with the world
24. How much time goes into a normal picture found on your Instagram account? It varies from 2 mins to 30 mins!
25. What’s your top Instagram tip? Give your account a distinctive look, make it unique to yourself and post consistently
26. Who takes your pics? I have several photographers I love to work with depending on where I’m at. Most of my Insta pics are taken by a photographer, but every once in a while I’ll throw in an iPhone pic when I stumble across a cool place and I’m not with one of my photographers. Those are usually taken by family, friends or a stranger
27. Career highlight since being an influencer? Going to Paris Couture Week with Dior
28. Career lowlight since being an influencer? There hasn’t really been anything horrible that’s happened that I would consider a lowlight. I’m one of those people that like to see the positive side in all situations and get over things very quickly
29. Best campaign you’ve ever worked on? A Guerlain fragrance campaign I did with Selfridges
30. Worst thing that’s happened to you on a photo shoot? Twisting my ankle. I was trying to jump onto this ledge wearing these 4-inch leather over-the-knee boots and I misstepped and twisted my ankle. I almost fell and it could’ve been more serious but thankfully my photographer was behind me and caught me
31. The best gift you’ve ever received as an influencer? I’m grateful for all the gifts and packages I receive, but the best gift would probably be a tote bag and scarf Dior gifted me
32. Last thing you googled? Net-a-Porter! I love online shopping and Net-a-Porter is one of my absolute favourite sites to shop at
33. Favourite film? ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
34. Favourite book? ‘You Are a Badass’
35. Favourite song? I feel like I have a new favourite song everyday but right now it’s probably ‘Close to Me’ with Diplo and Ellie Goulding
36. Living in the city or living by the beach? City
37. Favourite travel destination? Paris!
38. Most Instagram-worthy spot? I feel like anywhere in Europe is beautiful, especially Paris, but I’ve seen pictures of Havana and Santorini and they look like a dream
39. Top three essentials to pack when traveling? Phone chargers, healthy snacks, and my laptop!
40. Going out clubbing or quiet dinner with friends? Fun dinner with friends
41. Partner or single? Single
42. Siblings? I have 2 younger brothers
43. What city are you currently living in? I’m currently living between Los Angeles and San Francisco
44. Celebrity/influencer crush? Romee Strijd
45. Pets? Me and my two brothers raised chickens growing up. We had 3 chickens (one for each of us) and raised them from when they were baby chicks. They turned out to all be hens so for a few years we had fresh eggs every morning! They laid so many eggs each day so we gave some away to friends and neighbours. I was also a competitive horseback rider so I had 4 horses
46. What is your best asset? I’m very ambitious, have high expectations, and won’t settle for anything less than the best
47. Biggest misconception about you and your job? Probably that being an influencer means traveling, having fun, and taking pics of yourself all day. Yes, all of that is true – but there is far more to it. Those are just the things you see on the surface but there’s a lot of strategic planning and business decisions involved in making the right choices when opportunities present themselves
48. Top five Instagram accounts to follow? @vogue, @camilacoelho, @leoniehanne, @styleheroine, & @dietprada
49. Favourite quote you live by? “If you want something you’ve never had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done”
50. Top career tip? Always be kind. Focus on yourself and your goals. Ignore the negativity. Be real and be true to yourself and those around you. And love fiercely!
All images: Jaime Xie
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