Penny has been very supportive of my own crafty business over the past few months on both Twitter and Facebook and I was extremely curious to put a face on such kind lady. I did just that by attending the last MAAD Pyjama in March 9 where Penny had a stall and I immediately fell in love for her very sweet accessory line {I shall purchase a necklace very soon}...
Penny Ong of one98one
Let's find out more about Penny, how she started her full-time business and some of her favorite places in Singapore...
ECS: A short
introduction of yourself: what are you doing for a living? What is your
background and how did you start making jewelry?
I have been in the
buying industry for almost 6 years and have recently quit my job to concentrate
full-time on this hobby of mine. I always wanted to
do crafting but the busy and crazy schedule that I used to have forbids me to
do so.
I had always loved prints and colours and meddling around with /fabric/needles/embroidery when
I was in school 10 years ago. I re-discovered my
love for them when I was feeling stressed & burnt out from my job a year ago. Nothing seemed to
interest me at that time in my job even though I was bringing home quite a neat pay package.
I was packing my
room one day where I saw my fabrics, buttons, embellishments again & I felt
so excited just by touching them. I guess things just
started rolling from there.
One thing led to
another. The next thing I knew, I had quit my job & started building up one98one.
Russian doll brooch - shop it here
ECS: Are you a
self-taught designer?
No. I attended
school at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts & graduated with a diploma of
Fashion Merchandising & Marketing.
ECS: Describe your
work. What is inspiring you?
Colours. Prints.
Patterns. Birds. Flowers. Owls.
Lace collar necklace - check out similar designs here
ECS: What are your
favorite materials? Why did you choose to work with Plexiglas and fabric?
Where are you
sourcing for materials?
I was looking
through Etsy and I found a lot of designers doing laser-cut jewelry.
I like the
simplicity and details of laser-cut jewelry but there were just too many people
doing it & they are good at what they do... I wanted to do
something along that line but didn't want to fight in that pie with the
experienced sellers.
So I decided to
put in my own “flavour” into these laser-cut pieces by combining my love of
prints/colours with them. The process was
not easy. I had to find the right thickness. Right fabric. Right backing.
It really isn't as easy as it looks!
The best place for
me to source for materials is online. Locally, craft
supplies are just too expensive. Unless I need them urgently, many times I
will resort to buying online.
Etsy is a good
place for supplies in fact!
Flower brooch - soon in the (online)store!
ECS: Did you design
your own logo? Is there a story behind your brand's name?
Yes. one98one
is my birth year & I wanted to name the business something that is close to
my heart.
I love owls which
is why I incorporated the shape of the owl as part of the logo.
ECS: Why the owl
theme?
I love owls.
Owls are wise
(although research has shown that they are not the most intelligent but I chose
to believe it. Teehee)
Owls are cute with
their big doe eyes.
Owls are sharp
& determined in their judgement.
Basically they
look cute.
(I am just being
biased.)
Owl necklace - soon in the (online)store!
ECS: Where can we
purchase your collection?
In my newly launched Etsy shop and at Threadbare &Squirrel at Bali Lane.
Threadbare & Squirrel
660 North Bridge Road (Bali Lane)
Singapore 188797
Tel: +65 63966738
ECS: What is your
wildest dream?
Skydiving!
ECS: Best-kept
secret in Singapore?
Drips Bakery at
Tiong Poh Road: they make the best tarts EVER. All
are baked by Alfred who used to be a pastry chef at Shangri-La.
ECS: Would you like to share with us some of your favorite Etsy shops?
Here they are:
from top left to bottom left: statement necklace, fabric,
- Jennifer Loiselle - Statement necklaces to die for!
- Laughing House Fabric - Local based store that stocks Japanese fabric. Very fast and reliable service.
- Snug Studio - Particularly love their brooches!
- Shupg - Local designer who has a wide range of accessories from different materials.
And...
- Wheniwasfour - Local designers who designed/handmade a range of products that brings back a lot of my childhood memories.
Something to look forward to:
1. one98one is coming up with a new collection over the next few weeks: using coloured Plexiglas and combining more embellishments. Simply can't wait to see the end product!
2. Because I have so much fabric remnants at home, I am going to turn then into fabric buttons/ rings and more...
3. I will be participating to the next Public Garden flea market in May and this time it's going to be a huge event because it will be in accordance with Singapore Arts Festival.
It will be really exciting for one98one for the rest of the year!
Please join my mailing list to keep up to date with the latest arrivals and promotions!
Thank you so much to Penny for willing to be a part of my {Interview with} column. I am delighted to share it with you all, and I hope you enjoyed the read too!
one98one
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