Category: Fashion
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Hanging by a thread
While I was browsing the Night Market, Chamroeun invited me to explore her collection of clothes. I was struck by her impeccable command of English, learning that she was not only an enterprising seller, but a Literature teacher. She balances her time by hawking good from 6:00pm to 11:00pm every night, and rises early in…
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Timeless Gems
Marilyn Tan was a seasoned family lawyer when she decided to quit her job to spend more time with her children as a stay-at-home mother. Brimming with energy, she started experimenting with jewellery designs and, today, Marilyn Tan stands among Singapore’s most acclaimed jewellers. In this interview, Marilyn describes the shift she experienced when she took her…
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Taking Stock
“I used to work in an electronics factory and it was exhausting. We had to stand all day at the assembly line, and our eyes got tired from using the microscope. We manufactured parts for cameras and printers. Then one day my friend said: why don’t we do this business? So I said: okay” To…
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Doll Me Up (Chapter 5): Family Life
People living in the Arctic region have about a thousand words for “snow” because they are sensitive to the quality of snow for everyday decisions like sledding, catching seals, building houses, and so on. Meanwhile, Singaporeans have a colourful package of words to describe the weather such as “damn hot” “super hot” “so hot cannot take it”…
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Doll Me Up (Chapter 4): Growing the business
It come as no surprise to learn that businesses are constantly reinventing themselves to stay relevant, where “brick-and-mortars” are becoming “click-and-mortars” and fresh strategies are needed to remain valuable. Those who cling stubbornly to routines from the past are quick to go extinct. A prominent businessman in Singapore, Dr Theyvandran, put it bluntly. “A business cannot stay stagnant.…
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Doll Me Up (Chapter 3): Marketing
Nazlin Hilal, founder of Doll Me Up Cosmetics, shares some strategies that she uses to ‘put wheels on her business’ and sustain spectacular standards of service. Nazlin has a warm and affectionate personality, so it’s easy to see why people like her: she is sincere about providing value to her customers, and has a lovely way of…
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Doll Me Up (Chapter 2): Creating a product and brand
The peril of neglecting branding: don’t let others define you Nazlin Hilal realised quite early that she needed a “brand” to propel her growth in the cosmetic business. When we imagine a brand, we usually imagine a giant household name such as Nike. However, small businesses can also create a brand, even if the brand…
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Doll Me Up (Chapter 1): Starting a business
We wish it were easier, but there is no zipline to our dreams. Our reality is a messy terrain of endless adaptation, and we have to zig-zag through a world riddled with risk. The adventure of starting your own business seems daunting, but it beckons flirtatiously to those with patience in the journey. The journey…
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Doll Me Up: Introducing Nazlin Hilal
I’m sitting across the table and watching Nazlin handle one of the toughest negotiators in her studio. “Danish. You need to listen to this.” Danish eyes her confidently, and does not relent. I watch as he ponders his next strategic move, peering from the back of her chair where she cannot see him. “Oh Danish, I’m in the middle…
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Everyday is a new day
Nova is a shopkeeper at Lexington Market in Baltimore. He shares his advice for dealing with the vagaries of business. “Every day is a new day! Don’t be discouraged. Just because something didn’t go right one day doesn’t mean it won’t go right tomorrow. Come back, and try again.”
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First Steps
I like asking business owners how they got started because it usually tells a story of confronting change and uncertainty. Henry is from the Dominican Republic. When I asked him how he got started selling jewellery at the Lexington Market in Baltimore (USA), he didn’t miss a beat. “How I got started? Straight from the…
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Embracing serendipity, and other tips for running a retail business
“One woman, one mid-life divorce, one teenage child, one personal makeover, one day at a time, making it all work on one world wide media web, connecting all the dots.” Your curiosity can fuel a business Entering into Caravanserai is like stepping into a global village where your senses will be tantalized by the artistry…
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Mandala Maker
Zb.Doros grew up in Poland and currently lives in San Francisco where he devotes himself to the art of making mandalas. How did you end up in the USA? Times were tough in Poland for intellectual dissidents. I came to this country to get political asylum. My family had to stay behind in Poland, and I migrated…
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A Twist on Vintage
How do you start a business selling jewelry? We chat with Linda La Touche in California who describes her journey. In the whirl of life changes, the jewelry was constant. My parents always encouraged me in the arts, from dance to music to art. When I decided to start a family and quit school, I started making…
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Body-more Art (Baltimore)
What does it take to be a tattoo artist? We speak with Dave Wah who draws back the curtains on his journey, and shows us how his curiosity evolved over the years into a serious profession. Follow your curiosity “When I was about 17 or 18 years old, I kept wondering: “How do they do it?…
Shopkeeper Stories 