Fashion influencer and entrepreneur Chriselle Lim has built a successful career through her personal style, beauty ventures and digital content. However, her romantic life has also attracted considerable attention, particularly after she introduced a new partner following her divorce from Allen Chen. Her relationship with British fashion executive Sebastian Manes has since developed into an engagement, bringing together two people with established careers and families of their own.
Chriselle Lim’s boyfriend, Sebastian “Seb” Manes, is a British fashion entrepreneur and former luxury retail executive best known for his work at Selfridges. The couple reportedly met through a mutual friend in Paris and became engaged in early 2024. Their relationship has also involved combining their families, as both have two children from previous marriages.
Although Lim initially referred to Sebastian as her “French boyfriend” on social media, their relationship gradually became more public. From their custom engagement ring to their experiences raising four children in a blended family, their story has become an important part of Lim’s life beyond fashion and business.
Who Is Chriselle Lim’s Boyfriend Sebastian Manes?
Sebastian Manes is a British fashion entrepreneur and former senior executive in the luxury retail industry.
He is best known for his work with Selfridges, the famous British department store recognised for its designer fashion collections and influential retail concepts.
During his career, Manes held the position of Executive Buying and Merchandising Director, where he helped oversee important aspects of the company’s fashion business.
His responsibilities included working with luxury brands, identifying emerging designers and developing merchandising strategies.
After spending several years in the luxury retail industry, he stepped away from his senior position at Selfridges to pursue independent business opportunities.
His professional background has made him a respected figure within fashion circles, particularly among designers, buyers and luxury retail professionals.
Unlike Chriselle, who built much of her public identity through digital platforms, Sebastian established his reputation through traditional fashion retail.
Their shared interest in fashion has become one of the most recognisable connections between their professional lives.
How Did Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes Meet?
Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes reportedly met through a mutual friend while spending time in Paris.
The French capital is an important destination for both fashion professionals and luxury industry executives, making it a natural setting for their introduction.
At the time, both had already experienced previous marriages and were navigating different stages of their personal lives.
Their connection developed gradually, rather than immediately becoming a highly publicised celebrity relationship.
Following her separation from Allen Chen, Lim began sharing occasional hints about a new romantic partner on social media.
She initially referred to him as her “French boyfriend,” a nickname that attracted curiosity among her followers.
Although Sebastian is British, the reference to France became associated with their early relationship and the circumstances surrounding their introduction.
Over time, Chriselle became more comfortable sharing photographs and moments involving Sebastian.
Their relationship eventually became a familiar part of her social media presence, particularly as they began travelling and spending more time together.
When Did Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes Get Engaged?
Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes became engaged in early 2024.
Their engagement attracted attention because of the distinctive ring they designed together.
Rather than choosing a traditional engagement ring without Lim’s involvement, the couple collaborated on a custom toi et moi design.
The French expression toi et moi means “you and me” and refers to a jewellery style featuring two stones positioned together.
The design has become increasingly popular among couples looking for something different from a conventional single-stone engagement ring.
For Chriselle, whose career revolves around fashion, styling and personal expression, participating in the ring’s design was a natural choice.
The engagement marked an important development in their relationship, particularly after both had experienced divorce.
However, Lim has also approached the traditional language surrounding engagements with humour.
She has openly discussed her dislike of being called a fiancée, suggesting that the label does not entirely reflect how she views their relationship.
Instead, she has sometimes preferred referring to Sebastian informally as her husband.
That preference should not automatically be interpreted as confirmation of a legal marriage, as an engagement and a marriage are different milestones.
Why Does Chriselle Lim Call Sebastian Manes Her Husband?
Chriselle Lim has discussed her feelings about relationship labels through her newsletter, The Chriselle Factor, published on Substack.
She has explained that she does not particularly enjoy the traditional term “fiancée.”
Her preference for informally calling Sebastian her husband reflects the comfortable and established nature of their partnership.
For someone who has already experienced marriage, divorce and motherhood, becoming engaged again can carry a different meaning from a first engagement.
Chriselle has been open about entering a new stage of life with greater awareness of her personal priorities.
Her comments suggest that she values the relationship itself more than the expectations surrounding a particular title.
However, publicly available information does not establish that the couple has completed a legal wedding ceremony.
Sebastian is therefore most accurately described as her fiancé and long-term partner unless a marriage is publicly confirmed.
Their approach to engagement reflects a relationship shaped by previous experiences and shared responsibilities.
Who Was Chriselle Lim’s Ex-Husband Allen Chen?
Before beginning her relationship with Sebastian Manes, Chriselle Lim was married to Allen Chen.
Allen is an American businessman who was part of Chriselle’s life during the early development of her career as a fashion influencer.
The couple married in 2012 and later welcomed two daughters together.
Their marriage was occasionally featured through Chriselle’s online content, particularly during the years when she shared lifestyle and family-related videos.
However, their relationship eventually ended.
Chriselle publicly discussed her divorce after years of presenting aspects of her married life to a large online audience.
The separation represented a major personal transition, especially because the couple shared parenting responsibilities.
Rather than keeping every aspect of the experience private, Lim began discussing some of the emotional challenges associated with divorce and rebuilding her identity.
She also explored how her priorities had changed as she moved into a new chapter of her life.
Her relationship with Sebastian developed after this period, giving her another opportunity to build a partnership while continuing her responsibilities as a mother.
How Many Children Do Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes Have?
Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes have four children between them from their previous relationships.
Chriselle has two daughters, Chloe and Colette, whom she shares with her former husband, Allen Chen.
Sebastian also has two children from an earlier marriage.
The couple’s relationship has therefore involved bringing together two separate family households.
Blended families often require adjustments, particularly when children are adapting to new relationships, routines and shared experiences.
Chriselle has occasionally discussed the process of introducing their families and creating opportunities for the children to spend time together.
During 2024, the couple took important steps toward combining their family lives.
These included travelling together with all four children and organising shared experiences that allowed the family members to become more comfortable with one another.
Their first joint family trips represented meaningful milestones because they involved more than just the couple’s romantic relationship.
They also reflected the practical responsibilities of building a family after divorce.
What Does Sebastian Manes Do for a Living?
Sebastian Manes has spent much of his professional career working in luxury fashion retail.
His most notable position was at Selfridges, where he served as Executive Buying and Merchandising Director.
The role involved overseeing important decisions about which designers, brands and products would be represented within the department store.
Luxury retail buying requires a combination of commercial knowledge, fashion awareness and an understanding of changing consumer preferences.
Executives in these positions also work closely with established fashion houses and emerging designers.
During his time at Selfridges, Manes became associated with the company’s efforts to maintain its reputation as a leading destination for luxury shopping.
He later stepped away from his executive role to explore entrepreneurial projects and independent fashion partnerships.
Although details about all his current business activities are not widely available, his professional experience remains closely connected to the luxury fashion industry.
His background complements Chriselle’s career, which has increasingly expanded beyond social media into business ownership and brand development.
Chriselle Lim’s Career as a Fashion Influencer and Entrepreneur
Chriselle Lim first gained recognition through fashion blogging and digital content creation.
She launched The Chriselle Factor, a fashion and lifestyle platform that helped establish her as an influential figure in online style.
Her content initially focused on outfit inspiration, beauty advice and styling ideas.
As her audience expanded, she began working with major fashion and beauty brands.
Her professional identity later developed beyond influencer partnerships.
Chriselle became involved in entrepreneurship and eventually took on a leadership role at fragrance brand PHLUR.
Her work with the company introduced her to another area of the beauty industry, where branding, product development and consumer engagement are especially important.
She has also continued creating content around fashion, motherhood, personal development and relationships.
Following her divorce, Chriselle began sharing more reflections about independence and rebuilding her life.
Her relationship with Sebastian has occasionally appeared within those discussions, although she continues to maintain boundaries around her family’s privacy.
How Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes Balance Their Careers and Family
Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes share professional interests in fashion, but their relationship also involves managing demanding careers and parenting responsibilities.
Chriselle’s work includes business leadership, brand partnerships and digital content.
Sebastian’s background involves luxury retail, merchandising and entrepreneurial activities.
Both careers can require travel, industry events and unpredictable schedules.
Their blended family adds another layer of responsibility, particularly when coordinating time with children from previous marriages.
The couple has approached this stage of their relationship by gradually bringing their families together.
Their shared trips during 2024 helped establish new family experiences while allowing the children to spend time together.
Although they occasionally share glimpses of these moments, not every detail of their home life is publicly documented.
Their relationship reflects the practical side of building a partnership later in life, when both people already have established careers and family commitments.
Are Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes Still Together?
Chriselle Lim and Sebastian Manes have publicly shared important relationship milestones, including their engagement and efforts to bring their families together.
Their relationship became more serious after their initial meeting in Paris, eventually leading to their engagement in early 2024.
As of the latest information provided, there has been no confirmed public announcement establishing that the couple has legally married.
Chriselle has sometimes referred to Sebastian as her husband, but she has explained that this is partly because she dislikes the traditional fiancée label.
Their partnership remains notable because both entered the relationship after previous marriages and brought children into their new family arrangement.
For fans searching for Chriselle Lim’s boyfriend, Sebastian Manes is not simply a mysterious figure from her social media posts.
He is an experienced British fashion executive and entrepreneur who shares her interest in the fashion industry.
Their relationship has developed into a serious partnership involving an engagement, professional understanding and the responsibilities of raising a blended family.
While Chriselle continues building her business career and sharing selected moments from her personal life, her relationship with Sebastian represents an important chapter following her divorce from Allen Chen.