SHE started off working in a call centre – but influencer Perrie Sian now boasts over 2.2million followers and is on track to own a whopping four properties.
The fashion icon, who lives in Bedfordshire with her fiancé Ricci and their two dogs, Dolly and Olly, has fast become one of the UK’s most recognisable and biggest influencers.
But life started in humble beginnings for Perrie, who shared an inspirational message with her followers today.
She wrote how her and Ricci are buying a Spanish villa, which is now “completed” – and they will soon have three other houses in their portfolio.
Perrie wrote: “Feels like yesterday that we were here looking at the plot which was literally a pile of rubble!
“I cannot explain the happiness this place gives me & Ricci. We cannot wait to spend so much time here.
“And to think it wasn’t even four years ago that I couldn’t get a mortgage due to bad debt from my early twenties.
“Even though I got myself out the debt quite shortly after, the IMPACT it had on my credit score was insane & it lasted for nine years!
“Nine years waiting until I could buy my first home.
“Now I own three properties with a 4th going through!”
Perrie said she was sharing the update to “inspire” others that you can “get out your current circumstances and make a change.”
She told followers: “It’s all in your hands… just like it was with mine.”
Best known for her sharp eye for fashion, flawless style and very candid takes on her high-street fashion hauls, it’s little wonder the 34-year-old has an impressive following and community of over 3million.
Speaking on Rochelle Humes’ Ladies Who Launch podcast, Perrie revealed the blueprint behind her success and how she created her multi-million pound fashion empire.
The influencer shared: “I didn’t get given opportunities. I didn’t have role models growing up that would give me the guidance to even make me believe that I could go and do something like this.”
She explained how she came from a “modest background”, with her dad being a lorry driver and her mum working in a post office.
Perrie continued: “They’re not entrepreneurial people, and I still actually struggle to answer where my entrepreneurial sort of thing has come from.”
The fashionista shared how obtaining financial independence was “so important” to her as she had been “financially irresponsible” in the past and racked up “quite a bit of debt.”
Perrie confessed: “I found myself making really bad choices. And now being on the other side, I look back and I almost feel a bit sorry for myself looking back.
“But I realise that it came from a place of just no education about finances, saving taxes, nothing.”
Perrie admitted that her lack of financial education led to her “messing up” her credit score, and she was too embarrassed to tell anyone about it.
She shared: “I was very much like, I don’t want to tell anyone, but I couldn’t get a mortgage, couldn’t get a car, couldn’t get a phone bill.”
Perrie decided to rule out going to university as there wasn’t a subject she felt passionate enough about.
Instead, she entered the world of work straight after school, and tried her hand at a number of different jobs.
Perrie shared how she worked in “House of Fraser, in a call centre and at my local social club pulling pints”, and added: “That was like my three things.”
The fashion lover credits the pandemic as changing her life around – as it gave her an opportunity to showcase her flawless style and give her trademark candid takes on her high-street fashion hauls.
Speaking of starting out, Perrie shared: “A lot of people can be really time poor. And I just found myself with time.
“And also I’ve always loved fashion. I’ve always been the Primark, Topshop, River Island girl, would always be going in there.
“I could work from home and started doing content creation. So I started just taking mirror selfies.
“I didn’t really honestly, when I look back, I didn’t really think anything of it. I was just like, ‘I see some OG influencers doing it.’”
Perrie credits one key moment on Instagram with helping her boom in followers.
She already had an impressive 40,000 followers after just six months, but decided to do a giveaway of a Dyson Airwrap – and ended up shooting to 120,000 followers in two weeks.
Calling it a “turning point”, Perrie admitted she had thought: “My whole life has potentially just changed in the blink of an eye.”
At the time she was renting a tiny house with Ricci, but at this point decided to get a studio and become the “most consistent person” with creation and do around six posts a week.
She shared: “I might not be the best skill-wise, but I’ll outwork everyone. I’ll be the first here. I’ll be the last out. I’ll be the most consistent.”
In 2021, Perrie started collaborating with fast fashion giant In The Style – following in the footsteps of other big name influencers including Stacey Solomon and Jacqueline Jossa.
She went on to have 24-sell out collections, including the ‘Dubai Collection’ which sold over 18,000 units in just 15 minutes, and her success led to her appointment as In The Style’s first-ever Creative Director in July 2023.
Along with her work for In The Style and regularly promoting the new-in sections of Primark, Zara and H&M, other brand deals soon came rolling in and she worked on advertisements for GymShark, Calzedonia and Karen Millen.
Most recently, following In The Style founder Adam Frisby’s departure from the brand, he and Perrie joined forces and co-launched their womenswear fashion brand, Reasn.
The first collection, which included everything from a £7.99 pair of socks to £99.99 reversible puffer jacket, racked up a whopping £1m in sales within its first hour of trading.
Despite all her success, Perrie admitted she still struggles with “imposter syndrome.”
She added: “It stopped me from going to events. It stopped me doing red carpets.
“I’ve had amazing opportunities., I’ve never been on a brand trip because I just really feel this imposter syndrome and it’s something I’m trying to break through.”
While Perrie hasn’t been doing this for that long, she believes there’s something that sets her apart from others.
“For me I think something that’s different is that I’ve really connected with people that follow me,” she told Fabulous.
“I DM people all the time, respond and chat and here we are over 3 million social media followers later.
“It’s just embedded in my brain to reply. I can’t explain it and get it probably isn’t sustainable, but it’s what I enjoy.”
More on Perrie Sian
HERE, Perrie Sian reveals all on her friendship with Molly-Mae, how she got famous and what sets her apart from others.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous’ Kelly Allen, she says: “Molly-Mae’s honestly the most gorgeous person and she couldn’t have been more supportive of the things that I do.
“I’m so supportive of her and her brand and she is a really special person that’s deserves so much success. She’s a gorgeous person!”
Discussing how she got famous, Perrie adds: “I’ve always loved fashion and I used to share my fashion on Facebook – and then lockdown happened.
“I just decided that I had more time to share my favourite outfits so I started taking mirror photos and sharing my outfits.”
Then in 2021, she did something that gained her a whopping 80,000 social media followers in less than 24 hours.
Perrie recalls: “I actually did this giveaway that was quite iconic.
“I did a giveaway for a Dyson Airwrap and it exploded overnight, so I went from 40,000 followers to 120,000 literally overnight and that gave me that confidence of, ‘hold on a minute, I’ve been given an opportunity here. Take this seriously.’”
Perrie has done numerous brand deals, including for In The Style, Primark, Zara and H&M, GymShark, Calzedonia and Karen Millen.
