Satiating the evolving tastes of shoppers with affordable luxury

Angela Loh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of JeweLuxe® Angela left to embark on a journey of entrepreneurship in 2000. Thereafter she was approached by Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore’s five leading jewellery retailers to create and spearhead Singapore JewelFest in 2003.  After 14 successful editions, the final edition of JewelFest took place last year.  This year marks the inaugural launch of the brand new JeweLuxe® Singapore and she is excited to bring a new retail concept to shoppers, including collectors, connoisseurs and aficionados throughout Asia. Her appreciation for jewellery and design started when she was Marketing Manager at Lee Hwa Jewellery in 1999. It took more than a decade to garner the quality international constellation of jewellery brands and designers that the festival became renowned for. “I appreciate and value true talent and their passion for creation; and I want to be able to educate consumers on the appreciation of design and craftsmanship. This has led me to this business of curating (with the help of experts) and showcasing the works of talents I believe in – and you will see this come to life with JeweLuxe® Singapore”, says Angela. Being able to immerse herself in design and true craftsmanship gives her immense joy and a bigger sense of purpose beyond monetary rewards.  Here are some more insights from her entrepreneurial journey, as shared with team ABT. What led you to the path of Entrepreneurship? The desire to create something meaningful and making the best of what is presented to me has led me on the path of entrepreneurship and into the arena of fine jewellery and sophisticated living. I have a deep appreciation and love for the finer things in life, which makes this business I am in that much more enjoyable. Connecting with people and their journey in business also sparked my interest to play a role in business that would make a difference for others who share the same vision as I do. What were the circumstances that led you to this idea? I was Festival Director for the iconic Singapore JewelFest Singapore JewelFest from 2003 and 2016, Singapore’s most prominent luxurious jewellery exhibition and successfully established it as a renowned platform for jewellers around the world to showcase their finest and rarest gems and jewels for the past 14 years, growing sales from $1 million in the first year to $9 million in 2016. The final edition of JewelFest took place last year. Over the years, I have forged close relationships with some of the world’s finest independent jewellery houses and designers. It is their support and encouragement that motivated me to invest in creating a new integrated retail proposition that will bring value to their business. JeweLuxe® Singapore thus aims to become a collective voice for independent designers and brands to express and showcase their excellence and passion for creation. With this momentum, we are able to garner more world-class jewellery designers and brands but also those across other segments of sophisticated living to come on board. What is brand JeweLuxe all about? JeweLuxe® marks the first time that the multi-sensory experience of a regional exhibition will take shape in thedigital space. While the exhibition provides shoppers with the opportunity to interact directly with world renowned designers and artisans and build preference, the e-commerce marketplace (www.jeweluxeworld.com) ensures shoppers a connected experience and the convenience of making their purchases at any time of the year. The JeweLuxe Singapore, a curated showcase of exceptional design, craft, artistry and innovation in jewellery, timepieces, style, art, beauty, living styles and other sophisticated living propositions from all corners of the globe, will debut in Singapore this October at the custom built TENT@Ngee Ann City on Orchard Road. Open to the public from 6th October to 15th October 2017, visitors to the exhibition will be inspired by a showcase for collectors, connoisseurs and aficionados across all segments of sophisticated living, including jewellery, timepieces, vintage, eyewear, fashion, art and living style. To satiate the evolving tastes of shoppers for a more discerning retail mix of affordable luxury, I am excited to introduce the brand new JeweLuxe® Singapore – the world’s first multi-segment retail exhibition with an e-commerce marketplace. JeweLuxe® marks the first time that the multi-sensory experience of a regional exhibition will take shape in the digital space. While the exhibition provides shoppers with the opportunity to interact directly with world renowned designers and artisans and build preference, the e-commerce marketplace (www.jeweluxeworld.com) ensures shoppers a connected experience and the convenience of making their purchases at any time of the year. What makes JeweLuxe different from other e-commerce portals? As mentioned prior, JeweLuxe® marks the first time that the multi-sensory experience of a regional exhibition will take shape in the digital space. Our unique key propositions being:

• JeweLuxe World will curate exquisite designs and craft by world class artists, designers and craftsmen from around the globe that are generally exclusive to the affluent – and making their creations, previously not available accessible, to discerning consumers in Asia.
• We offer physical and tangible experience of our brands and products to interested consumers at our JeweLuxe exhibitions and exclusive The Savoir Series® events, which will be held in Singapore and aims to be in other key metropolitan cities of Asia, the U.S.A. and Europe moving forward.
• As most of our showcased pieces are handmade and require varying level of customization, our e-commerce portal will be heavily supported by our JeweLuxe® Concierge who will facilitate the jewellery customisation process if required as well as delivery to customers doorstep.

What are your views about Millennials & the luxury choices they make today? I believe that knowledge is the basis for discernment. Millennials today have the world at their fingertips through the internet. It is therefore easy to garner knowledge of any product categories however, for serious investments, in-depth insights from credible experts are important. The Millennial shoppers of today have also evolved in terms of their shopping habits and expectations for distinct designs and fine craftsmanship. They look for the brand or product “story” that resonates with them and their style of or philosophy of living. Knowing the spectrum of options available enables comparison for effective decisions. Nothing beats seeing the “real thing” – seeing, touching and feeling the pieces to understand their value – which is exactly what shoppers can do at JeweLuxe® Singapore. Learning from the experts and sharing of insights and personal experiences are some of the key ways to understand the “investment” and one’s preference. JeweLuxe® Singapore also presents The Savoir Series line-up of events that are presented with curators of the respective genres to enable more in-depth appreciation and knowledge. We work collaboratively with our participating brands to showcase their exclusive creations for collectors and connoisseurs and also an affordable range of iconic designs that are below SGD 10K and whenever possible pieces below SGD 2K so that everyone can enjoy a piece of “affordable” luxury at the exhibition and online on the JeweLuxe® World e-commerce marketplace. If you were to do one thing differently, what would that be? Frankly, I wouldn’t have done anything differently.  Be it good or bad experiences, challenges or not, these all play a part to make me who I am today and what I can endure and endeavor. I love what I have now…my vision, my business, my new business partner (Nelson Lee), my key manager and pillar of strength (Elaine Kok), my business partners and associates, my friends, etc. I am happy regardless of what life brings… Tell us about your most cherished milestone. My most cherished milestone is when I was brought Singapore JewelFest from Parco Bugis Junction with only five leading retailers participating to the Ngee Ann City in 2015 with more jewellers in Singapore and Asia coming on board. This marked the beginning of my vision to curate quality and excellence in fine jewellery and put me on the path to what we are creating today. What would you like to achieve in the coming years? My goal is to make JeweLuxe® a global brand for curatorial sophisticated living – that spans e-commerce, exhibition, events, pop up galleries and other progressive retail platforms. In the pipeline over the next few years are plans for JeweLuxe® showcases to take place in Kuala Lumpur,  Jakarta and Manila, followed by key cities in North Asia, the USA and Europe. I look forward to bringing JeweLuxe® sophisticated living propositions to the doorsteps of collectors, connoisseurs and interested shoppers – enabling tangible brand and product appreciation that can enrich the online shopping experience.