Cara Lim: A tale of two passions

MANILA, Philippines -  Who says you can’t feed two passions at the same time?

Although she’s passionate about creating sumptuous dishes, Ma. Isabel Clarissa “Cara” Iturralde Lim just couldn’t give up on her love affair with swimwear. A chef by profession, Cara is currently the Research and Development Lead at Gallery VASK. But she’s also always wanted to create her own bikinis. She got to fulfill this dream when she founded Diwata Swimwear, a brand that offers cheeky bikinis for young women in the Philippines who desire to unleash their inner “diwata” (fairy) as they explore the islands and the oceans of the world.

“I love the water and everything that goes with it – the sand, the sun, the marine life, the different shades of blue, and the activities. To enjoy being somewhere I love, I need to be in a functional, well-crafted, and comfortable outfit – and that is swimwear,” shares Cara. However, it wasn’t easy for this beach babe to find cheeky, colourful, and snug swimwear.

She furthers, “Since the same brands were available in the country, most girls would wear the same style and prints at the beach. I've been collecting swimwear since I could afford to. I want to share this love and the craft with other girls. I want girls to appreciate the swimwear and not take it for granted.”

While working full time as a chef, Cara started to turn her dream swimwear business into reality. She immediately came face to face with an adversity: it took her more than three years to find someone who can sew spandex. But when she found one in 2015, she began conceptualizing and finalizing the brand. “Creating the concept of the brand and finalizing the first three designs were easy because they had been on my mind and written on my notebook for the longest time,” she says.

Cara enjoyed every step of the creation process: finalizing the name and logo of her brand (she initially called it “A little bikini project”), preparing the designs, and working on the swimwear samples.

She launched her swimwear line in December 2015. “I’d say it was a good time to put a swimwear business. The market wasn’t too saturated at the time but swimwear was in demand,” observes Cara. “I outsource the production team and they’re amazing. In terms of the whole business, it’s just me with the help of my sister, best friend, and really good friends who take the photos and give me advice on what to do.”

Like a true millennial, Cara turned to digital media to market her brand. Leveraging on her social media following, the chefpreneur reached out to girls who not only love going to the beach but respect the attire and the ocean as well.

Because information is easily available online, Cara maximized this platform to grow her business. “Google Search helped me turn my passion into an actual business. It gave me answers to every question I had in mind. I still search for what’s trending and what’s not, good color schemes, and online platforms that can inspire me. Google Search has played a huge role in my business – I can’t imagine starting a business or existing without it in this digital age.”

Cara suggests, “For aspiring entrepreneurs who use the online platform, don’t stop at page 1 and be more creative but direct with your questions online. Click link after link after link, and then Google will know what you’ll look for the next time you search.” 

She describes this entrepreneurial journey as difficult but fun. “I had no idea how to start a business. It was fun to create the concept, do trial and error of the designs, and of course attend to the business factor: cash flow, marketing, time. I think challenges will always be present.”

While it may not be easy juggling two jobs, Cara is determined to succeed on both. “I think I’m able to create magic by balancing my day job in the F&B industry and managing Diwata Swimwear.”

Cara believed she could make things happen. And she did – in fact, she has two reasons to celebrate.