Proper Purpose

I’m the co-owner of a jewellery business called State Property; my partner and I founded it three years ago.
I studied product design in NUS, while she studied jewellery design at Central Saint Martins in London. We’ve been friends for a long time, and we always knew we wanted to create a lifestyle label, and the decision to make jewellery just came naturally to us. We’ve released quite a few collections of women’s jewellery, as well bridal and bespoke pieces, but we recently launched a collection of men’s pieces, titled Unfold.

Are there any major differences between designing for men and women?
What we’re trying to do with the men’s collection is to actually design a more unisex look, so that women who prefer a more androgynous style can also put them on. Besides men’s and women’s ring sizes being vastly different, the process is the same, and it’s all about understanding why people wear jewellery.

What are some things you draw inspiration from?
For me a lot of it comes from architecture, science, and literature. Science is an obsession for my partner and I; we’ve based collections off themes such as the space-time theory and the life cycle of a star. I also read a little of everything; one of my favourite books is Ways Of Seeing by John Berger, and I like Rumi’s poetry as well.

What’s a piece of fashion advice you think everyone should follow?
I don’t know if it applies to everyone, but I like to make sure I’m always comfortable, and I’ve been told that it’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed.

If you could switch lives with anyone for a day, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I’d say Barack Obama, and Beyoncé. I can’t imagine how it would be like to be Beyoncé—I wonder if she gets bored, having accomplished so much at a young age. Obama is so intelligent and dignified, and I find it inspiring how he set out to make himself so different from all the United States’ presidents before him.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
It has to be from my mum, who told me that if I ever feel disadvantaged or discriminated against in any situation, the only way out of it is to work twice as hard and prove myself by being twice as good as everyone else.