Singaporean Kane Lim from Bling Empire is first Southeast Asian face of Rihanna's Fenty Beauty

LOS ANGELES - Singaporean reality television star Kane Lim from Bling Empire is the newest brand ambassador for Fenty Beauty.

The beauty brand, started by pop star Rihanna, appointed him as its first Southeast Asian face on Monday (May 9).

Lim, 31, who is based in Los Angeles as a real estate developer , will appear in a new campaign that will debut in Sephora's flagship store in Singapore later this month.

"I have developed this newfound confidence because of this opportunity," he said in an exclusive interview with entertainment portal People.

"I don't know if people know this, but I suffer from a lot of insecurities."

He added: "People look at my Instagram and think differently but that's because you can curate and edit these posts, but with a campaign... it's different. It's more real."

The eldest of three sons from a wealthy family, Lim said in an interview with The Straits Times in February that he had grappled with weight and self-esteem issues his whole life and weighed 100kg three years ago before he turned vegetarian.

"When I did the shoot, I was like, 'Oh wow'. This was the first picture where I actually didn't need photoshop, which is incredible."

Bling Empire, which was a hit on Netflix in 2021, follows a group of affluent Asians and Asian-Americans in Los Angeles. A second season will be out on Friday (May 13).

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Lim also revealed that he and Rihanna have been direct messaging each other on Instagram for years.

"Conversations about me working with Fenty first came about during the height of both the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements. (Rihanna) is one of the few huge icons that really marched with us and that meant a lot to us," he said, referring to her appearance at a Stop Asian Hate rally in New York in April 2021.

"I told her, 'This is bigger than the brand, this is bigger than Fenty. This is bigger than me, this is bigger than you. It's elevating both communities. The more people see us together, the more it breaks stigmas'."

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.