Kai Lim • Above all, a homemaker

MANILA, Philippines - At first glance, there’s that undeniable radiance in Kai Lim that makes her a standout. She exhibits that half-Filipino, half-Japanese charm that is both energizing and calming.

Then you realize, while she engages you in a breezy and warm conversation, that her glow emanates from the happiness she feels from within. She is inspired — every single day.

Her inspiration: her family.

Her passion: being a homemaker.   

Yes, Kai is one of the five women owners of Cura V, a Collette-like lifestyle concept store in Rockwell, but she is more inclined to say that, “first and foremost, I am a homemaker.”

Her everyday joy is caused by her two young kids, Yumiko, five, and Aki, three. “I love the feeling that my kids need me. I am most joyful when they ask me ‘Mom, can you please pick us up in school?’ even if they know that I always do that. I love spending time with them because they grow up so fast. I’m amazed that I have real conversations with them. And I treasure that,” says Kai, who obtained a degree in Political Economy at the University of Asia and the Pacific.

She knows by heart that running a home is a journey filled with never-ending discovery of love and faith. Along the way, she finds a large dose of humor, too — in her husband Bryan Lim, whose family owns the retail giant Bench. 

“Bryan is a very driven man, which I admire in him. He’s also taught me how to not take myself so seriously. He is very funny. Every time we are together there are always moments of laughter, which I think is very important in a marriage,” Kai says of her husband of six years whom she met via a date set up by their common friend.

Kai, with sincerity and serenity in her voice, looks back to the days when her parents, Kanji Nakanishi and Christine Tordera, started to make a great impact in her life. 

“Ever since I was a little girl, my mom has instilled in me to always put my best foot forward. Even if you’re going to meet a person for the first time, you always have to show, even just in your appearance, your best. 

“From my late dad, I learned humility and dignity. My dad is a very principled man and I admire him for that,” she says.

The many beautiful lessons she learned from her family are the same lessons she teaches her kids. Kai is passionate about her husband, her children, her home.

With honor and dedication, Kai dons her homemaker’s hat with love and pride, knowing fully that hers is more than just a full-time job.

Photography by RITA MARIE ABIOG • Creative direction by LUIS ESPIRITU JR. • Styling by MIKKA VELASQUEZ • Makeup by RIA AQUINO • Hairstyling by AVRIL SEGUIN • Green dress by VANIA ROMOFF; white dress with gold skirt by JOEY SAMSON • Jewelry by MILADAY JEWELS • Shot on location at the FAIRMONT PRESIDENTIAL SUITE