Re: PAP Ball Carrier Elim Chew Is Angry That His Shops Rental are getting very expens
2013
An eye for opportunity,tenacity and a sense of defiance has paid off for one of Singapore’s most successful, empowered female entrepreneurs, Elim Chew, a 77th Street Fashion Warrior…
There was no secret to success when it comes to Elim Chew ‘s formula for a winning business plan. All she did was work hard, found opportunities and filled a niche in fashion when no one else in Singapore did.
Elim Chew, 46, is Singapore’s female Richard Branson. Her warm, relaxed demeanour and casual tomboy style is nothing short of what makes social entrepreneurship such a cool thing to aspire to today. However, with most accomplished businesspeople. there’s always a tough back story that serves as an inspiring preface and Elim has had her own scars to bear along the way.
She grew up middle-class in a regular Singapore neighbourhood with a mother and father that grounded her at an early age. She admits that while at school, she managed to just scape through and that she always knew that the academic route wasn’t her calling because she always felt she had an inner voice that was guiding her to do things a little differently from everyone else.
Elim calls it her ‘inner rebel’ and like most rebels, she looked for a different perspective when she enrolled at a hair styling institute in the UK.
“Being an entrepreneur is like being a juvenile delinquent… The more you tell us that we can’t do it, the more we want to prove you wrong.”Then, upon returning to Singapore from London after a year’s worth of salon training, Elim was surprised that locals were years behind with regards to personal style and street fashion. With no one really pushing the envelopes of fashion on the streets of the city, Elim saw an opportunity to sell UK style in Singapore and she grabbed it. Thus, the retail fashion giant, 77th Street was born. It was funded solely by Elim’s hairdressing business at the time. To her, it was the perfect launch pad to start 77th Street with.
77th Street injected Singapore with the much needed street fashion edge it so badly needed and revolutionised what street wear was all about in the city.
Watch how Elim Chew began her road to success in the video below featured on The Story Exchange site – a digital project showcasing entrepreneurial women around the world.
Decades later, this sprightly and very accomplished lady has amassed a bunch of accolades including being named the “Most Promising Woman Entrepreneur of the Year” by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME, in 2001, awarded “Mont Blanc Businesswomen Award” in 2002, “Young Woman Achiever Award” by Her World magazine and “Leadership and Mentoring Award” by Research Communications International in 2003.
These awards, from her very first one given to her by ASME in 2001, gave her the opportunity to become a youth ambassador in Singapore. Now, Elim who still radiates with a very playful and joyful spirit about life, is also a well-known philanthropist and a mentor to a number of youth organisations in Singapore that promote artistic talents and social entrepreneurship.
Tomboy Tarts recently obtained an exclusive interview with Elim as we asked her about her work with these youth organisations and more.
Q: When you returned to Singapore from London in the 80s, you once mentioned that Singapore was devoid of people with style. No one was colouring their hair or experimenting with style. What do you think of the Singapore fashion scene now, particularly the last decade where we’ve seen androgynous trends like tomboy style and metrosexuality take off?
Singapore fashion scene has evolved very much since. As our nation becomes wealthier, people are able to travel and see the fashion statements from all over the world. Furthermore with the internet, people are able to follow trends and even adopt androgynous trends like tomboy style and metrosexuality.
Q: Being in the style business for over 30 years with 77th Street, are you happy to see more Asian brands gaining international recognition and how does that keen competition keep 77th Street on its toes?
I am for more Asian brands gaining international recognition. I don’t see that as competition, but as a motivation to improve and keep abreast of things so as not to get complacent.
Q: Tomboys are rebels by nature, following their own voices and 77th Street is one such brand that grew out of that attitude of “Never Say Die”. In this day and age where information, design and inspiration are available at one’s fingertips, how can following your own voice, like you did, help bring about success for anyone looking to start their own business?
To start a business, you still need to have ideas, the gumption and determination to see it through, so the adage of “never say die” still holds sway, because the day you say die, that is the day you are dead because you have given up.
Q: You’ve done a tremendous amount of good work inspiring youth around the world, by being a member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum and speaking at such panels, helping to bring valuable insights about the industry. What, at the end of the day, when you’ve worked with all these enthusiastic youth, makes you happy about being part of this movement.
Actually I do not look forward to the day I am done to look back and be happy, because I am happy now at what I am doing and that is the motivation to carry me on.
Q: Any final thoughts you’d like to say about your experience being a successful youth leader and entrepreuner?
There is a saying,” A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Are you taking that step until you complete the entire journey?
*77th Street is a clothing company based and operating out of Singapore. Elim Chew founded it in 1988 with a small shop at Far East Plaza, at Orchard Road, Singapore. It now has 7 retail outlets in Singapore and a shopping mall at the popular shopping district of Xidan, Beijing, China.