Li Li has always enjoyed documenting her artistic journey and sharing it with the world. She considers herself to be the “selfie queen” but in a unique way. She does not snap a photo of herself while holding the camera or use the front-facing mode on her phone; instead, she shares photos of herself around the world, creating works of art, sharing her vision with audiences everywhere. As a teenager, she started using a Taiwanese form of social media called Wretch, and it became a big part of her life, taking photos and sharing them online. Then, when Facebook and Instagram became the preferred channels, she began advertising her work in creative ways.
“I remember one time when I was 18, I duct taped my camera on my bedroom ceiling because I wanted a photo of me lying in bed with my crazy patterned outfit and my bold colored bed sheet. I knew it would look really dynamic,” said Li. “Who would have thought my interest in taking selfies would lead me to a career?”
Now, Li is an industry-leading Art Director, as she has helped companies all over the world turn their vision into a reality. Whether working with exclusive clothing brand Only in Beverly Hills or lifestyle fitness company Neon Beige, Li knows how to grab a consumer’s attention with her work.
One of Li’s longest-lasting business relationships is with jewelry designer Evelyn Huang. Li first started working with Huang over four years ago with her high-end customized jewelry company EvelynH Jewelry. This award-winning brand grew substantially with Li’s help, and impressed the designer so much she decided to launch a second company, Light Legion, and brought Li on board to help it grow.
“I thought it was a great opportunity to create a brand from scratch. I also liked the concept and story behind the idea and the designer gave me a lot of space to play with my skills and creativity,” said Li.
Light Legion is jewelry targeting millennials, more affordable and for everyday wear, rather than EvelynH. Li was responsible for all aspects of the art direction, from designing the logo, website, and establishing social media platforms, to directing/styling photoshoots and launching various campaigns, to retouching all lookbook and campaign photos, to working with popular influencers such as @AndreaVeiraa and @DrewPlastic.
“I was involved from the beginning to the brand launching. It was so fun and rewarding helping build this company from the ground up,” said Li.
Li’s first task was designing the logo, which would then be used in all branding. Evelyn told Li the style she wanted it to be and Li gave her thirty options to choose from. They took the same approach with each campaign, where the designer provided ideas and Li turned those thoughts into several different options. They wanted to create a lifestyle through the marketing, rather than simply showcasing the different pieces of jewelry.
“It was fun working with the designer, the photographer, and the other eight models. The photoshoot was a success. Besides art directing this project, I was also the stylist and one of the models for the shoot. It was quite challenging to direct the shoot while modeling. It is definitely a special experience for me,” Li concluded. “It’s nice when people started to recognize the brand and that I know I’ve done something right and it has given me the confidence to start with my next project.”