A Connected Whole

Tell us more about what you do.
I just started a jewellery line, specialising in statement pieces. I grew up in China and moved to the States for school when I was 16. After staying there for 10 years, I moved to Hong Kong, lived there for another 10 years, and now I’ve been in Singapore for the past five years. I moved to Singapore because I felt like it was a place that my family and I could settle down in—it was safe, stable, and overall, the environment was more friendly for my kids to grow up in.

Have you always been a jewellery curator? 
No, my background is not in fashion. I started in the financial industry, and my expertise was in investment banking and private wealth for private investment-linked policy companies. But I took a break and told myself that maybe it’s time to flip the page and pursue something that I truly enjoyed.

I’ve always been very interested in fashion. In high school, I would save my allowance and spend it on Japanese fashion magazines. It was one of the highlights of my week, or even my month. After I moved here, I had a bit of extra time, so I picked up sewing, made a few pieces of clothing on my own, and then decided to start my own jewellery line.

Tell us more about the style of jewellery that you curate. 
I think it’s more or less inspired by my own style. I mainly wear black, white, and grey—those are my theme colours so to speak. That’s why accessories are important to me, and I really like statement pieces. But I’m still at the beginning of this journey, and there’re many things I hope to learn and explore along the way.

What’s the one thing you love about Singapore? 
I love the people and the culture. It’s truly a melting pot. Before I moved here, a lot of people shared very stereotypical assumptions with me—Singaporeans are very uptight, fashion is really backward. I had no expectations moving here, so I was surprised when I came.

I lived in the US for a long time, and people always say that the US is a true melting pot, and you can achieve your dreams no matter your race or culture. I don’t necessarily agree. But here, it’s different. You can see a temple, a mosque, and a church all along the same street. People truly understand each other not only as neighbours, but also in their cultural and belief systems. And don’t get me started on the food! You can find pretty much any kind of authentic cuisine from around the world in Singapore. It really exceeded my expectations, and throughout the five years that I’ve lived here, I have nothing to complain about.

If you could give one piece of advice to the person that you were five years ago, what would it be? 
Enjoy your time with friends, because life happens, and sometimes, people move on. I think that is especially so in Singapore, where a lot of people come and go. Don’t take these friendships for granted, and treasure the time you have together with your friends while you can.